Patient Awarded $525K After Nurses Left Sponge in Her Abdomen

A woman has been awarded more than $525,000 in a lawsuit that alleged clinicians at Lower Bucks Hospital in Bucks County, Pa., had acted negligently when they left a sponge in her abdomen during surgery, according to a Courier Times news report.

In her complaint, the patient, who underwent a cesarean-section delivery in 2004, accused the performing surgeon and two nurses of leaving a laparotomy sponge in her abdomen. A Bucks County jury found the two nurses guilty in the case, arguing the pair had failed to perform three required sponge counts, according to the news report. The acting surgeon was not found guilty.

 

Sign up for our FREE E-Weekly for more coverage like this sent to your inbox!



According to the news report, the patient suffered multiple complications, including a severe infection and bowel perforation, as a result of the retained sponge, which was discovered two months after her surgery.

Read the Courier Times news report about the retained object at Lower Bucks Hospital.

Related Articles on Retained Objects:

Medicaid to Stop Paying for Provider-Preventable Events in July
Maryland Hospitals Reported Significantly More Medical Errors, Health Officials Say
California Department of Health Fines 12 Hospitals for Patient Safety Violations

Copyright © 2024 Becker's Healthcare. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy. Cookie Policy. Linking and Reprinting Policy.

 


Patient Safety Tools & Resources Database

Featured Webinars

Featured Whitepapers

Featured Podcast