Section 250.1270  Surgical Patients

a)         Patients undergoing major surgical procedures shall be observed both pre-operatively and post-operatively by a competent nurse specifically assigned to the duty.  Such observations shall be documented in the patient's record.

b)         The chart of the patient shall accompany the patient to the operating suite, to the recovery area and be returned with the patient to the patient care unit.

c)         All tissue/specimens removed at surgery, except those exempted by Section 250.510(g)(1), shall be placed in a container properly labeled and submitted for pathological examination.

d)         An operative report describing techniques and findings shall be written or dictated immediately following surgery and signed by the surgeon.

e)         All infections of clean surgical cases shall be recorded and reported to administration and to the hospital's Infection Control Committee.  The Infection Control Committee shall determine a procedure for the surveillance of such cases.

(Source:  Amended at 48 Ill. Reg. 450, effective December 20, 2023)