The South African procedural times glossary

Abstract

The South African perioperative field has lagged behind other countries in developing a glossary of terms that can be used to compare individual operating rooms (ORs) within the same hospital, perioperative services across different systems, and larger elements of the country’s health service. In 1998, the Association of Anesthesia Clinical Directors (AACD) in the United States of America (USA) established the procedural times glossary (PTG). We have developed an adaptation of the AACD’s PTG with familiar South African terminology which will allow for better comparison between South African operating rooms as well as more informed comparison with the international literature. This first iteration is intended to start the conversation about procedural times and indices, and initiate a process aimed at refining these terms as further versions are required and developed.