Document Detail


Managing the prevention of retained surgical instruments: what is the value of counting?
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  18156916     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
OBJECTIVE: Preventing retained foreign bodies is critical for patient safety. However, the value of counting surgical instruments and the reliability of the information provided have never been quantified. This study examines the diagnostic characteristics of counting and its impact on surgical costs. METHODS: We examined data from the Medical Event Reporting System-Total HealthSystem (MERS-TH), administrative hospital, and the New York State Cardiac Surgery Report databases (2000-2004). The cost per count discrepancy was examined by studying a cohort of patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. Linear and logistic multivariable regression models were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: Of 153,263 operations, there were 1062 count discrepancies. The rate of retained items was 1 of 7000 surgeries or 1 of 70 discrepancy cases. Final count discrepancies identified 77% and prevented 54% of retained items. The sensitivity of counting was 77.2%, specificity was 99.2%, but the positive predictive value was only 1.6%. Count discrepancies increased with surgery duration, late time procedures, and number of nursing teams. Bypass time, intravenous nitroglycerin injections, or myocardial infarction in the previous 24 hours were independent predictors of count discrepancies in CABG surgery. The incremental OR cost for CABG because of a count discrepancy was $932. Nationally, this would amount to an additional $24 million/yr in OR CABG cost. CONCLUSIONS: This study, for the first time, quantifies the diagnostic accuracy of counting and defines the parameters against which alternative strategies of prevention should be measured, before being adopted in standard practice.
Authors:
Natalia N Egorova; Alan Moskowitz; Annetine Gelijns; Alan Weinberg; James Curty; Barbara Rabin-Fastman; Harold Kaplan; Mary Cooper; Dennis Fowler; Jean C Emond; Giampaolo Greco
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Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article; Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural    
Journal Detail:
Title:  Annals of surgery     Volume:  247     ISSN:  0003-4932     ISO Abbreviation:  Ann. Surg.     Publication Date:  2008 Jan 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2007-12-24     Completed Date:  2008-02-21     Revised Date:  -    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  0372354     Medline TA:  Ann Surg     Country:  United States    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  13-8     Citation Subset:  AIM; IM    
Affiliation:
InCHOIR-International Center for Health Outcomes and Innovation Research, Department of Surgery, Columbia University, 600 W. 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, USA. ne30@columbia.edu
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Chi-Square Distribution
Coronary Artery Bypass / instrumentation*
Foreign Bodies / prevention & control*
Humans
Medical Errors / prevention & control*
Operating Rooms
Regression Analysis
Sensitivity and Specificity
Surgical Instruments*
Grant Support
ID/Acronym/Agency:
U18 HS 11905-03/HS/AHRQ HHS
Comments/Corrections
Comment In:
Ann Surg. 2008 Jan;247(1):19-20   [PMID:  18156917 ]

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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