No More Lost Sponges: RFID to Optimize Surgical Suite Efficiency and Safety

Retained surgical items are not as rare as many believe. While stories of sponges left inside patients occasionally make headlines, few realize the actual frequency: according to a systematic review of 21 studies by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), these and other small items are left behind as often as 1.3 times per 10,000 surgical procedures.