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• New OR Sponge Detection System Enhances Patient Safety at Dimensions Healthcare System

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New OR Sponge Detection System Enhances Patient Safety at Dimensions Healthcare System

April 1, 2010

Cheverly, MD - –  The issue of “left-behind” surgical sponges is hardly new to hospitals nationwide.  A 2003 study in the New England Journal of Medicine reported that sponges and other foreign objects were left behind after abdominal surgeries at a rate of about 1 for every 1,000 to 1,500 such operations.  To address this concern, hospitals have always done careful sponge counts during surgical procedures, as well as tagged sponges so they can be seen on X-rays. 

To further enhance patient safety, Dimensions Healthcare System announced today that a new Radio Frequency Identification Detection (RFID) surgical sponge detection system from RF Surgical Systems has been implemented at Prince George’s Hospital Center.  With this major step forward, Prince Georges Hospital Center becomes one the first hospitals in the area to use this cutting edge technology to improve patient safety and operating room efficiency.  The new system will be expanded to Laurel Regional Hospital on a phased basis over the coming months.

 The patented and FDA approved system consists of an electronic reader and high frequency RFID tagged disposable gauzes and sponges.  A primary goal of the system is to eliminate the most common and costly surgical “never event,” the unintentionally retained object left behind in surgery.  The system uses a reusable wand to detect an RF chip located in each surgical sponge and gauze.  The system provides an extra measure of safety that ensures our patients are receiving the highest quality surgical care.

"We place the highest priority on patient safety and this new system will allow us to significantly enhance our already established surgical protocols to prevent retained objects.  We are taking a proactive approach by utilizing the RFID surgical sponge detection system in all our surgical areas.  Our surgeons and nurses have been very impressed by the system's ease of use and its detection accuracy and range. It not only safeguards the patient, but provides the entire surgical team with the assurance that no surgical sponge has been left behind," stated Dr. M. Ali Khan, noted surgeon and President of the Medical Staff at Prince George’s Hospital Center.  “It is great to be a front runner with this new technology.”

Prince George's Hospital Center, located in Cheverly, Maryland, is a 256 bed acute care hospital with Maryland’s busiest Level - II Trauma Center, serving all of Southern Maryland.  In addition, the Hospital Center has a full service cardiac care program.  PGHC provides comprehensive inpatient services from intensive care to medical-surgical acute care.  More than 18,000 individuals are admitted annually for inpatient and observation care. The Emergency Department serves approximately 50,000 patients annually.   Prince George’s Hospital Center is a proud member of Dimensions Healthcare System, the largest not-for-profit healthcare system serving Prince George's County and southern Maryland (Charles, St. Mary's and Calvert Counties).

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