8 6 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • A P R I L 2 0 1 9
W
hen it
comes to
retained
surgical
items
(RSI), you shouldn't assume
anything, you should prove it.
And if you don't see it, you
should find it. Working in sur-
gery, we all dread the possibil-
ity of an RSI, whether it's a
sponge, a needle or an instru-
ment that's left inside the
patient after a procedure. And
yet we still see these mistakes
happen all too frequently.
RSIs usually stem from 2
factors: unreliable surgical
item management practices
and poor communication. When members of the OR team fail in these
areas, they set themselves up to leave something behind. An RSI is not
just one person's error, it's the result of a series of mistakes from the
surgical team that any one person could have prevented. All that may
sound scary, but it's important to remember the stakes. Here are 5
strategies to ensure a retained item is truly a never event at your facili-
ty:
Verna Gibbs, MD | San Francisco, Calif.
5 Keys to Preventing Retained Surgical Items
Use these strategies so there's nothing left behind.
• DEEP DIVE When a surgical item goes missing, you've got to look
everywhere to make sure it hasn't been retained in the patient, includ-
ing a search of the trash.
Pamela
Bevelhymer,
RN,
BSN,
CNOR