>> >>: A
COMPANY CALLED RF SURGICAL SYSTEMS WHICH DOES ITS RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT IN SAN DIEGO
MAKE AS PRODUCT DESIGNED TO ELIMINATE THESE KINDS OF MEDICAL ERRORS.
IT'S A SURGICAL SPONGE THAT CONTAIN AS SMALL RADIO FREQUENCY TAG.
CEO KEVIN COUSIN SAYS IT'S A BRAIN CHILD OF A SURGEON AT CORNEL UNIVERSITY.
HE CAME UP WITH THE CONCEPT WHERE AT THE END OF THE SURGERY THERE WAS A MISCOUNT.
THEY SPENT ALMOST AN HOUR TRYING TO RECTIFY THE COUNT THROUGH AN SPONGES AND GAUZE, THEY
COUNTED THEM ALL, HAD TO BRING IN A PORTABLE C ARM AND HE THOUGHT THERE'S GOT TO BE A BETTER
WAY. >> >>: A C ARM IS A PORTABLE X RAY MACHINE.
PATIENTS ARE X RAYED IF THE SPONGE COUNT IS OFF.
COUSIN IS NOT SUPPOSED TO REPLACE THE MANUAL COUNT OF SPONGES.
>> >>: OUR TECHNOLOGY IS THE EXTRA LEVEL OF SAFETY.
THE NURSES DO A GREAT JOB IN COUNTING, THIS IS A WAY TO VALIDATE WHEN THERE IS A MISCOUNT,
WHEN THEY MISCOUNT AS WELL AS WHEN THEIR COUNTS ARE CORRECT.
INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, MOST TIMES WHEN THERE'S A RETAINED OBJECT, IT'S WHEN THE COUNTS ARE
FALSELY CORRECT. >> >>: INDEED, ONE STUDY REVEALS 62% OF RETAINED
SURGICAL OBJECTS WERE FOUND AFTER THE COUNT WAS MISTAKENLY REPORTED AS CORRECT.
THE RF TAGGING SYSTEM INCLUDES THE MONITORS, WAND, AND SPONGES.
IT COSTS ABOUT $10 PER SURGERY. SOUNDS LIKE A NO BRAINER, RIGHT?ÊLATEST TECHNOLOGY,
LOW COST, AND PREVENTS MED DL ERRORS. NOT ALL HOSPITALS WANT TO USE IT.
>> >>: SAN DIEGO SHARP MEMORIAL HOSPITAL PERFORMS 20,000 SURGERIES EACH YEAR.
BEVERLY SAYS HER HOSPITAL IS FAMILIAR WITH THE RADIO FREQUENCY TAG SPONGES BUT SAYS SHARP
HAS DECIDE TO STAY WITH THE CURRENT SYSTEM. >> >>: THIS IS THE LAP SPONGE USED MOSTLY
IN THE ABDOMINAL AREA OF OUR PATIENTS. THIS IS X RAY DETECTABLE SO IF WE HAVE A SPONGE
THAT'S MISSING WHEN WE COUNT AT THE END OF THE CASE, WE START AT THE THE BEGINNING.
THESE COME IN COUNTS OF FIVE. AND AT THE END OF THE CASE, IF FOR ANY REASON
WE HAVE A SPONGE THAT IS MISSING WE WILL DO AN X RAY.
THAT IS A HUNDRED PERCENT. >> >>: IT'S NOT FOOL PROOF.
JUST ASK JUDGE BAILEY. THE SPONGES HIS HOSPITAL USED WERE SUPPOSEDLY
X RAY DETECTABLE. >> >>: THE COUNT RECORD THEY KEPT SHOWED THAT
ALL THE SPONGES THAT HAD BEEN PLACED IN ME HAD BEEN REMOVED.
ONE OF THE PROBLEMS I HAD IN ADDITION TO EVERYTHING ELSE WAS TWO DIFFERENT RAID AWL JSES LOOKED
AT THE FOLLOW UP X RAYED AND CAT SCANS AND FAILED TO IDENTIFY THE SPONGE.
>> >>: AS A RESULT OF BAILEY'S CASE, GOOD SU MARE TN HOSPITAL SWITCHED TO THE SPONGES.
THE COMPANY SAYS MORE THAN 200 HOSPITALS USE THEIR SPONGES, INCLUDING UC SAN DIEGO, AND
NAVAL MEDICAL CENTER SAN DIEGO IN BALBOA PARK. THE AVERAGE COST TO SETTLE A CASE OF AN OBJECT
LEFT INSIDE A PATIENT IS AROUND 350,000 DOLLARS. NATIONWIDE EACH YEAR, HOSPITALS AND SURGEONS
HAVE TO PAY OUT A A TOTAL OF ONE BILLION DOLLARS IN CLAIMS FOR THESE MISTAKES.
KEVIN COUSIN SAYS DON'T FORGET THE HUMAN TOLL. >> >>: EACH ONE OF THESE STATISTICS HAVE A
PATIENT'S FACE ON THEM, ISSUES, WHERE THEY HAVE TO GO BACK IN AND BE REOPERATED ON, MAYBE
LOSING SECTIONS OF THEIR INTESTINE OR MAYBE LOSING THE ABILITY TO HAVE CHILDREN, HAVING
TO HAVE HYSTERECTOMIES, THERE'S REAL CONSEQUENCES TO RETAINED OBJECT SAID.
SOMETIMES THERE ISN'T, BUT IT HITS THE WHOLE GAMETE.