March 2013
OR Informational Survey: Is your Operating Room “bird strike proof”?
NoThing Left Behind®
On that fateful day in January 2009 when the geese hit USAirways flight 1549, the plane itself wasn’t designed or engineered in any special way to prevent passenger harm in the event of a bird strike. It was the communication strategies and the learned safety practices of the flight crew that made it possible for everyone to survive. Good communication and safe practices are also what’s necessary for the prevention of patient harm from retained surgical items. Are your OR teams ready?
To the best of your knowledge:
In the last two years have there been any cases of a retained surgical item (RSI) in your OR that required re-opening the patient at the conclusion of the case, OR a return to OR to remove the item?
o Yes
o No
If so, what item(s)?
o Sponge What kind?______How many cases? ______
o Small Miscellaneous Item What kind? ______
o Sharp/Needle
o Whole Instrument
Does your OR a) track or report miscounts, and/or b) use xray, wanding, or other post op process to eval for RSI?
o Yes
o No
Does everyone in the OR use the same practice to count sponges?
o Yes
o No
How do you count sponges? (check all that apply)
o In the unit of issue
o All sponges only in multiples of 10
o Collect in kick bucket and count 10 by hanging blue tags over edge of bucket
o Collect in kick bucket and count 5 by hanging over fingers
o Collect in kick bucket and count 5 by hanging blue tags over edge of bucket
o Collect in kick bucket and count 10 by pointing with ring forceps
o Lay sponges out on drape or flat surface and count with scrub
o Collect sponges in groups of 10 and secure in clear plastic bag and put on floor
o Collect sponges in groups of 5 and secure in clear plastic bag and put on floor
o Collect sponges and put some in hanging counter bags
o Use the hanging counter bags for laps by breaking center divider and count in 5’s
o Use the hanging counter bags for raytex and count in 10’s
o Use the bar code device (Surgicount) with kick buckets
o Use the bar code device (Surgicount) with kick buckets and counter bags
o Use the wand system (RF Surgical) with one of the manual count practices above
o Use the wand system (RF Surgical) with a manual count on every case
o Use the wand system (RF Surgical) only on selected cases. Which cases? ______
o Use the RFID system (Clearcount)
o Use the RFID system (Clearcount) with counter bags
o Use something different. Here’s how we do it: ______
Thank you ______
Hospital Name Contact Name and email