Vim & Vigor - Spring 2010 - Community Healthcare - (Page 8)

the S by mary fetsch count confirming new technology enhances patient safety 123456 Sometimes you can wave a wand and make things better! The latest advancement in surgical safety technology has come to the operating rooms at St. Mary Medical Center. As the first hospital in Northwest Indiana to begin using the new FDA-approved radiofrequency detection system for tracking and locating surgical sponges, St. Mary Medical Center is setting new standards for patient safety during surgery. The new patented technology, called RF Surgical , Detection System™ uses a special wand and console to scan and signal an alert if any radiofrequency detect-tagged surgical sponges remain unaccounted for during surgery. The RF Surgical Detection System uses three key components: a handheld scanning wand connected to a compact, self-calibrating console and a micro RF tag that is threaded into a variety of surgical gauzes and sponges. When the system is activated and the wand is passed over a patient prior to closing procedures, an audible and visual alarm immediately signals the presence of any retained objects fitted with a tag. “This new system provides an added layer of security to our already stringent patient safety practices,” says Glenn Carlos, M.D., chairman of surgery at St. Mary Medical Center. “The new technology adds very little time or effort to the surgical process and it will be used in addition to traditional tracking methods. It also offers great peace of mind to patients and their families.” Nationwide, the retention of surgical sponges is one of the leading patient safety concerns in hospitals, according to a published study in the New England Journal of Medicine. The incidence occurs in one out of every 1,000 to 1,500 intra-abdominal operations. Stringent counting protocols are used in most operating room settings with built-in safety measures and backup procedures. If the count is off, the surgical staff is aware that a sponge is missing and must begin locating it prior to finishing the surgery. The RF Surgical Detection System enhances the counting method by validating a correct count or by allowing staff to immediately locate any missing sponges with a sweep of the wand. The system locates the missing sponges quickly and efficiently, with little or no delay to the surgery, a key point that minimizes the amount of time patients must remain under anesthesia. “We always want to be proactive when it comes to our patients’ well-being, and this system enhances our ongoing mission of excellence in patient care and safety,” says Janice Ryba, CEO. “By implementing this system to help prevent the occurrence and risk of retained surgical sponges, Surgical nurse Vanessa Byczko, R.N., St. Mary Medical Center, demonstrates a new St. Mary Medical Center continues setting new FDA-approved radiofrequency detection system for tracking and locating surgical standards of patient care and safety in the operatsponges. The hospital is the first in Northwest Indiana to implement the system, which will enhance the already stringent safety measures used in the operating rooms. ing room and throughout the hospital.” vim & vigor • sp rin g 2 010 8

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Vim & Vigor - Spring 2010 - Community Healthcare

Vim & Vigor - Spring 2010 - Community Healthcare
Contents
Community Message
Award-Winning Care
Get Well Sooner!
Band of Gold
Confirming the Count
Excuses, Excuses
Easing the Pressure
Prostate Predicament
On Mended Knees
Imaging IQ
Caregiving: A Survival Guide
Form Factors
Wake-Up Call
Getting to the Bottom of Back Pain
From Growing Pains to Patient Gains
To Clot or Not to Clot

Vim & Vigor - Spring 2010 - Community Healthcare