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Medical Malpractice News Home Dr. John Limbert
Alphabetical Index | Volume Index jlimbert@medlit.net
Medical Terminology Glossary
Volume 9, Issue 1
June 2003

RETAINED SWAB
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Practice Points
Full Text Article

Swab and instrument counts recommended by AORN: 

  1. when instruments set-up, swabs unpackaged

  2. before surgery begins

  3. as closure begins

  4. during skin closure

Risk factors for retained swabs or surgical instruments: 

  1. emergency surgery

  2. unexpected change of surgical procedure

  3. obesity

Variants in hospital Policy criteria for the use of post-operative radiography after abdominal or pelvic surgery: 

  1. emergency surgery or changed surgical procedure

  2. when the surgery is too urgent for an initial count

  3. when the count is wrong

  4. always

  5. no Policy

Potential Causes of nursing/medical malpractice Action:

1. swab or instrument count

a. none
b. falsely correct
c. incorrect but ignored

2. surgeon failed to check operative field

3. check radiographs

a. not undertaken
b. radiographs misread

 GLOSSARY: Click on the appropriate letter

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