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July 5, 2008 7:01:48 AM CDT

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New Tech Tracks Things Left Behind

Posted Jan 2, 08 2:12 PM CST in Technology,  Science & Health    Editor's Choice

(Newser) – Hospitals are turning to technology to cut down on incidents of doctors sewing up surgical patients with sponges and other items left inside, the Chicago Tribune reports. A bar-coding system to ensure what goes in comes back out is one solution; another involves tagging items with chips that allow them to be detected with a radio-frequency wand.

A 2003 study reported that one in every 1,000-1,500 operations left the patient with more than just a scar as a souvenir; the $50,000 price tag to remove a foreign object and treat infection is steep, and it pales in comparison to millions awarded in malpractice lawsuits. The tracking tags, meanwhile, run just $50-$60 per surgery.

Source Chicago Tribune

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Surgical sponges are the items most frequently left in patients erroneously and can potentially cause deadly infections.   (Shutterstock.com)
Surgical sponges, made of folded gauze, are used to soak up blood and protect organs during surgery.   (Shutterstock.com)
"It's a giant issue," said Medline's primary-care division, Jack Bowser, of the sponge detection technology. "Clearly, adding any additional costs, you get a little push-back from the hospitals. But if...   (Shutterstock.com)
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