effective high-tech, high-end medication safety solutions, but are often
limited to use in large surgery centers, hospitals and health systems.
• Retained object detection. Retained objects are a rare occurrence,
but the never event continues to occur in ORs across the country, per-
haps because many surgical teams still rely on manual counts instead
of tapping into technologies designed to ensure no item is left behind
in patients.
Scanning barcodes on sponges before they're placed in the patient
and again after they're removed helps to ensure staff reach an accu-
rate count at the beginning and end of procedures. Sponges and tow-
els affixed with radiofrequency tags can be detected with a wand
that's passed over the patient. The detection technology works,
according to Ms. Kirkland.
"We had a recent incident of an incorrect sponge count, which the
surgeon involved in the case disputed," she says. "The patient had a
positive abdominal wanding and, after further exploration on the
abdominal cavity, the missing sponge was found and retrieved before
the patient left the OR."
F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 0 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y. N E T • 7 5
• What do you use to improve endoscope care (check all that apply)?
Closed transport containers 59%
Borescopes to inspect internal channels 12%
Storage cabinets with integrated drying technology 22%
Automated internal channel-drying systems 12%
ATP tests 49%
Source: Outpatient Surgery Magazine reader survey (n=52),
January 2020
