After this session you’ll be able to:

1. Understand the contributing factors related to the occurrence of retained surgical sponges.
2. Describe the statistics related to the RSS and surgical miscounts.
3. Discuss solutions for the prevention of retained sponges, enhanced patient safety, and economic efficiency in the OR.

Why this is important:

Retained surgical sponges (RSS) are a preventable medical error which poses risk of severe sequelae for patients. Manual counts have been the long-standing standard of care. Despite policies that identify appropriate counting behaviors, unintentional surgical sponge retention continues to occur. Adjunct technologies have been developed to assist in retained surgical sponge prevention, which can enhance safety & provide better patient outcomes. This education presentation will address the factors contributing to miscounts & unintentional sponge retention. Discussion will include current problems related to retained surgical sponges for the patient, the impact on involved staff, & the economic implications for hospitals & surgery centers. Join Medtronic as they explore the role of adjunct technology.

Sponsor(s):