While counting items at surgery can help to avoid item retention, a count done wrong can cause unneeded delays and increased costs.
Items counted include:
(1) instruments
(2) needles
(3) sponges (large and small)
Types of error in counting:
(1) misplaced item
(2) incorrect count
(3) error in documentation
Risk for a problem in item count:
(1) change in personnel during surgery
(2) emergency surgery or major surgical problem
(3) unrecorded removal of items (fall to floor, removal of a surgical tray, etc)
(4) operator fatigue
These risk factors are also risk factors for retained items actually being retained.
The cost for a miscount can be estimated as:
(1) increased duration of surgery while resolving discrepancy
(2) imaging studies or other studies performed to exclude a retained item
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Purpose: To evaluate an error in the surgical count that resulted in an unnecessary delay in the operating room.
Objective: other testing, prevention, surgery
ICD-10: ,
