Atlanta Medical Center has implemented a system to keep better track of sponges in the operating room, the misplacement of which can result in retained surgical items, according to a FOX News report.
According to recent data, around 40 sponges are left inside surgical patients every week in the United States. Surgical experts say these mistakes are preventable, and that retained surgical items can be prevented by counting the number of sponges in the OR prior to and after surgery.
At Atlanta Medical Center, the hospital has implemented the RF Assure System, which imbeds each sponge with a radio frequency tag. If a sponge goes missing, the OR team runs a wand over the patient and listens for the tag's signal.
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According to recent data, around 40 sponges are left inside surgical patients every week in the United States. Surgical experts say these mistakes are preventable, and that retained surgical items can be prevented by counting the number of sponges in the OR prior to and after surgery.
At Atlanta Medical Center, the hospital has implemented the RF Assure System, which imbeds each sponge with a radio frequency tag. If a sponge goes missing, the OR team runs a wand over the patient and listens for the tag's signal.
Related Articles on Quality:
Building a Patient-Centric Foundation to Support Quality Initiatives
HealthMark Announces New Game on Central Service Sterilization
Patient Safety Tool: Injection Safety Myths and Truths Flyer
