Retention of surgical instruments is a possible complication of surgery; moreover, its occurrence has typically been used to denote poor surgical care on the part of the individual surgeon and the healthcare system. In the literature, it is not surprising that instances of retained foreign bodies are underreported to minimize exposure to possible litigation.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
HyslopJ.W., MaullK.I.Natural history of the retained surgical sponge.South Med J1982; 75: 657–60.
RileyR., ManiasE., PolglaseA.Governing the surgical count through communication interactions: implications for patient safety.Qual Saf Health Care2006; 15: 369–74.
9.
GawandeA.When doctors make mistakes. In: Complications: A Surgeon's Notes on an Imperfect Science.New York: Metropolitan Books;2002: 47–74.
10.
ChorvatG., KahnJ., CamelotG.L'évolution des corps e'trangers textiles oublie's dans l'abdomen.Ann Chir1976; 30: 643.
11.
SlimK., Ben SlimaneT., DziriC., MzabiR.Les corps e'trangers textiles oublie's dans l'abdomen.Ann Radiol (Paris)1990; 33: 280.
12.
ChorvatG., KahnJ., CamelotG.The fate of swabs forgotten in the abdomen.Ann Chir1976; 30: 643–9.
13.
FairG.L.Foreign body in the abdomen causing obstruction.Am J Surg1953; 86: 472–5.
14.
LauwarsP.R., Van LeeR.H.Intraperitoneal gossypiboma: the need to count sponges.World J Surg2000; 24: 521–7.
15.
RodriguesD., PerezN.E., HammerP.M., WebberJ.D.Laparoscopic removal of a retained intra-abdominal ribbon malleable retractor after 14 years.J Laparoendosc Adv Surg Tech A2006; 16: 369–71.
16.
Association of Perioperative Registered Nurses; AORN Recommended Practices Committee.Recommended practices for sponge, sharp, and instrument counts.AORN J1999; 70: 1083–9.
17.
SarrM.G.Editor's note: retained foreign bodies—why do we still allow them to occur?Surgery2005; 137: 304–5.
18.
MacarioA., MorrisD., MorrisS.Initial clinical evaluation of a handheld device for detecting retained surgical gauze sponges using radiofrequency identification technology.Arch Surg2006; 141: 659–62.
19.
RogersA., JonesE., OleynikovD.Radio frequency identification (RFID) applied to surgical sponges.Surg Endosc2007; 21: 1235–7.
20.
GoldsteinJ.L., MatuszewskiK.A., DelaneyC.P.The economic burden of postoperative ileus associated with abdominal surgery in the United States.Pharmacy and Therapeutics.2007; 32: 82–90.
