OR Safety Series: Insights From University of Michigan School of Nursing

“Leaving behind surgical sponges can have a life-altering effect on patients and leave a permanent scar on a hospital’s quality and safety reputation,” reported Becker's Hospital Review. The webinar provided some key takeaways which included data from CRICO’s database.

In addition to unexpected health complications, retained surgical sponges (RSS) can also lead to financial complications, reported one of the speakers. Valerie Marsh shared: “Patients received an average of $600,000 after an RSS, and hospitals had to cover, on average, $77,512 in additional costs for treating and performing surgeries to remove the retained sponge without reimbursement, according to the Risk Management Foundation of Harvard Medical Institutions.”

Citation for the Full-text Article

Oliver E. OR safety series: Insights from University of Michigan School of Nursing. Becker’s Clinical Leadership & Infection Control. October 8, 2020.

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