Unintended retention of foreign bodies remain the most frequently reported sentinel events. Surgical sponges account for the majority of these retained items. The purpose of this study was to describe reports of unintentionally retained surgical sponges (RSS): the types of sponges, anatomic locations, accuracy of sponge counts, contributing factors, and harm, in order to make recommendations to improve perioperative safety. A retrospective review was undertaken of unintentionally RSS voluntarily reported to The Joint Commission Sentinel Event Database by healthcare facilities over a 5-year period (October 1, 2012- September 30, 2017). Event reports involving surgical sponges were reviewed for patients undergoing surgery, invasive procedures, or child birth. A total of 319 events involving RSS were reported. Sponges were most frequently retained in the abdomen or pelvis (50.2%) and the vagina (23.9%). Events occurred in the Operating Room (64.1%), Labor and Delivery (32.7%) and other procedural areas (3.3%). Of the events reported, 318 involved 1 to 12 contributing factors totaling 1430 in 13 different categories, most frequently in human factors and leadership. In 69.6% of reports, the harm was an unexpected additional care or extended stay. Severe temporary harm was associated with 14.7% of the events. One patient died as a result of the retained sponge. Because of the complexity of perioperative patient care, the multitude of contributing factors that are difficult to control, and the potential benefit of radiofrequency sponge detection, we recommend that this technology be considered in areas where surgery is performed and in Labor and Delivery.

Retained surgical items (RSIs) are serious events with a high potential to harm patients. It is estimated that as many as 1 in 5,500 operations result in an RSI, and sponges are most commonly involved. The adverse outcomes, additional medical care needed, and medico-legal costs associated with these events are substantial. The objective of this analysis was to advance our understanding of the occurrence of RSIs, the methods of prevention, and the costs involved. Incident reports entered into the University HealthSystem Consortium (UHC) Safety Intelligence database on incorrect surgical counts and RSIs were analyzed. Reported cases of retained surgical sponges at organizations that use radiofrequency (RF) technology and those that do not were compared. A cost-benefit analysis on adopting RF technology was conducted. Five organizations that implemented RF technology between 2008 and 2012 collectively demonstrated a 93% reduction in the rate of reported retained surgical sponges. By comparison, there was a 77% reduction in the rate of retained sponges at 5 organizations that do not use RF technology. The UHC cost-benefit analysis showed that the savings in x-rays and time spent in the operating room and in the medical and legal costs that were avoided outweighed the expenses involved in using RF technology. Current standards for manual counting of sponges and the use of radiographs are not sufficient to prevent the occurrence of retained surgical sponges; our data support the use of adjunct technology. We recommend that hospitals evaluate and consider the use of an adjunct technology.