Outpatient Surgery Magazine

Staff & Patient Safety - October 2019 - Subscribe to Outpatient Surgery Magazine

Outpatient Surgery Magazine, providing current information on Surgical Services, Surgical Facility Administration, Outpatient Surgery News and Trends, OR Excellence and more.

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O C T O B E R 2 0 1 9 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y. N E T • 3 5 T here are still plenty of facility leaders who think a methodical manual count is all that's needed to prevent retained objects. The data certainly throws a wrench in that argument. "More than 88% of retained sponges occur when the count is reported as being correct," says Victoria M. Steelman, PhD, RN, CNOR, FAAN, a patient safety expert and associate professor at the University of Iowa College of Nursing in Iowa City. While a manual count process will always remain a critical part of preventing retained objects like sponges (the item most commonly left behind), needles and surgical instruments, there are plenty of com- Jared Bilski | Senior Associate Editor • UP TO CODE Scanning and tracking technologies give staff an assist in ensuring sponges are accounted for before the patient leaves the OR. Leave Nothing Behind Combining scanning technology with a meticulous manual count is your best defense against retained objects.

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