Medline teams with Texas hospital
MUNDELEIN -- ClearCount Medical Solutions and Medline Industries Inc. announced that Hunt Regional Medical Center has become the first Texas hospital to deploy the most comprehensive technology for the prevention retained surgical sponge incidents.
Hunt Regional Medical Center has implemented the SmartWand-DTX, part of ClearCount's radio-frequency identification-based platform that uniquely identifies each sponge so that they can be easily counted and detected. Medline is the exclusive distributor for the SmartWand-DTX and the SmartSponge System, the first FDA-cleared systems using RFID.
“The deployment of the latest safety technology in our OR is consistent with our commitment to both our community and our employees,” said Richard Carter, chief executive officer at HRMC.
HRMC has implemented the SmartWand-DTX into its full suite of operating rooms. The hospital is part of Hunt Regional Healthcare which is affiliated with Baylor Health Care System.
“We're pleased to add Hunt Regional Medical Center to our rapidly expanding customer base,” said David Palmer, chief executive officer of ClearCount. “Their selection of our safety technology demonstrates the trend that many hospitals are now taking action to make retained sponge incidents a true ‘Never Event' through the use of RFID technology.”
Despite designation as a “never event,” retained items are estimated to occur in one of every 1,000 to 1,500 abdominal surgical procedures, which can lead to hospital inefficiencies, unnecessary costs, serious infections and even death.
Hospital infections add an estimated $30.5 billion to the nation's hospital costs each year. In one study using a retrospective review of medical malpractice claims data from a statewide insurer in Massachusetts, sponge counts had been falsely thought to be correct in 76 percent of non-vaginal surgical cases involving retained sponges.
“Falsely correct” sponge counts were attributed to team fatigue, difficult or long operations, sponges “sticking together,” shift changes or procedures with a large number of sponges.
In July 2010, new Association of periOperative Registered Nurses Recommended Practices for the Prevention of Retained Surgical Items highlighted that membership may consider use of adjunct technologies to enhance surgical count procedures in order to avoid retained incidents.