AORN Journal
Volume 87, Issue 2 , Pages 315-321, February 2008

Counting Difficulties: Retained Instruments, Sponges, and Needles

  • Sarah Jackson, RN

      Affiliations

    • Sarah Jackson, RN, is a circulating nurse at Harry S. Truman Medical Center, Columbia, MO. Ms Jackson has no declared affiliation that could be perceived as a potential conflict of interest in publishing this article.
    • ,
  • Sharon Brady, RN, CNOR

      Affiliations

    • Sharon Brady, RN, CNOR, is a same day surgery nurse at University of Missouri Hospital, Columbia. Ms Brady has no declared affiliation that could be perceived as a potential conflict of interest in publishing this article.

ABSTRACT 

PATIENTS IN WHOM A SPONGE or instrument is left after surgery may suffer complications including pain, infection, abscess, or intestinal obstruction.

CONSEQUENCES OF RETAINED ITEMS for surgical team members may include malpractice lawsuits and adverse actions from the National Practitioner Data Bank and state licensing board.

ADHERENCE TO AORN recommended practices for counting and facility counting policies can protect both patients and practitioners. AORN J 87 (February 2008) 315-321. © AORN, Inc, 2008.

 

  indicates that continuing education contact hours are available for this activity. Earn 3.1 contact hours by reading this article and the following article and taking the examination on pages 329–330 and then completing the answer sheet and learner evaluation on pages 331–332.You also may access these articles online at http://www.aornjournal.org.

PII: S0001-2092(07)00504-2

doi:10.1016/j.aorn.2007.07.023

AORN Journal
Volume 87, Issue 2 , Pages 315-321, February 2008

Article Tools

* Image Usage & Resolution