Perioperative patient safety: correct patient, correct surgery, correct side--a multifaceted, cross-organizational, interventional study.

Background: It is important to ensure a patient-safe environment in the perioperative setting. With this in mind, a "patient-safety first" philosophy was adopted within our operating room service.

Methods: During the first phase of the interventional study (2001-2002), we defined and executed the organizational and educational aspects of the intervention.

Intrathecal anesthesia for elderly patients undergoing short transurethral procedures: a dose-finding study.

One hundred elderly men (> or =65 yr) undergoing transurethral procedures (<45 min) received bupivacaine 7.5 mg, or bupivacaine 5 mg + fentanyl 20 mug, or bupivacaine 4 mg + fentanyl 20 mug, or bupivacaine 3 mg + fentanyl 20 mug, intrathecally. Intraoperative "rescue" fentanyl requirements were higher (P < 0.