[What holds the hospital together-A "fixation error" in terms of patient safety].

Background: Fixation plasters are nowadays an important part of clinical care and the product range is adapted to the needs of patient care. A multifaceted selection is available.

Aim of the study: To increase vigilance towards the supposedly low-threshold use of fixation plasters in patient care.

Material and method: This review is dedicated to the use of fixation plasters, mostly outside of their intended use on patients.

Results: There are countless examples of how fixation plasters are used outside of their intended purpose and patient safety is often neglected. This can lead to an occult latex contamination. Devices repaired with makeshift fixation plasters also put patients at risk. From a hygienic point of view, adhesive residues from fixation plasters promote surface contamination of various materials or work surfaces.

Discussion: The intended use of medical products is meaningful and prescribed by law. This serves to ensure patient and user safety. Further training is extremely important so that vigilant players in the healthcare sector can counteract sources of danger. This special attention can be trained in the "room of error", for example, and is one of the most important preventative measures to avoid errors occurring in the first place. Checking the use of fixation plasters in one's own working environment helps to minimize risks.