A study of all operative cases in one year at a large academic medical center found a 0.35 percent rate of surgical item miscounts. Increased case length and an increased number of providers present were separately associated with more than double the risk of a miscount, regardless of whether the case was elective, urgent or emergent, or whether there were personnel changes during the case, according to the study.
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The authors suggested these risk factors for miscounts may guide strategies for preventing retained surgical items.
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