Throughout the United States, surgeons have used Stryker's SurgiCount Safety Sponges in an estimated 10 million surgeries in the past five years.
Here are five notes:
1. Stryker reported U.S. surgeons have used more than 180 million of its sponges in that time frame.
2. Nationwide, 480 hospitals have implemented SurgiCount sponges to bolster patient-safety protocols.
3. Each day, there are an estimated 11 incidents where surgeons leave surgical sponges inside of patients.
4. Retained surgical items cost the U.S. healthcare system $2.4 billion each year.
5. To limit RSI's risk, organizations, including The Joint Commission, Association of periOperative Registered Nurses and American College of Surgeons, advise surgeons utilize adjunct technology in addition to manual sponge counting.
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