It sounds like a goofy plotline from an old M*A*S*H episode,
where Frank Burns would accidentally leave a surgical sponge inside a patient,
leaving it for Hawkeye to retrieve and save the day.
But the reality of modern-day surgeons leaving sponges in
patients is no laughing matter. Nor is it a statistical rarity. In fact, it
happens 1,500 times a year, 1 in 200
patients who spend the night in the hospital will die from a medical error, according
to published research findings.
ClearCount Medical Solutions is seeking to sharply reduce
the frequency of these incidents, or eliminate them outright. Based in Pittsburgh,
ClearCount has developed what’s called the SmartSponge System, which uses a
dime-sized radio-frequency identification (RFID) chip embedded in the sponges
that allow them to be counted and tracked before they go inside the patient. As
surgery is finished, the medical staff makes sure that all sponges are
accounted for, lest one of them ends up sewn inside a patient.
“This provides an improved patient-safety benefit to
hospitals,” says David Palmer, CEO of
ClearCount. “Our system addresses the increased pressure on hospitals to
eliminate retained surgical sponges, through an easy-to-integrate, efficient
and thorough count reconciliation and detection solution.”
It’s not just a matter of health and safety, as the
incidents can be costly: According to the Federal Register, the average
Medicare payment for admissions in which an object is left behind during
surgery is $61,962, and Aon/American Society of Hospital Risk Managers
estimates the liability and cost of a medical lawsuit to be between $100,000 and
$150,000 for settlement.
ClearCount’s technology all started when an operating room
nurse and her husband developed the patent. The nurse, Sharon Morris, simply
grew weary of too many "close calls" that required her to get down on
her hands and knees to search for a missing sponge. The patent was licensed to
ClearCount.
A top priority was to ensure that the implementation of
ClearCount’s tracking products wove smoothly within the surgical process
without presenting any logistical burden. As a result, ClearCount’s chips
automatically verify each sponge within a second after a pack is scanned,
validating the number and types of sponges within. As sponges are soiled and
tossed, the system automatically verifies this, with no need for manipulation
on the part of the surgeon and/or his team.
The system is also equipped with a wand for detecting
sponges that may get left inside a patient. If the counts on the screen are not
reconciled and there’s still a sponge missing from the bucket, the user has the
ability to scan the patient for retained sponges. If the wand detects one or
multiple sponges from a scan, the type and quantity will appear on the screen,
allowing the surgical team to retrieve exactly what they are missing.
ClearCount’s Palmer is clearly staking his company’s bottom
line on this technology. Earlier this year, ClearCount introduced what is
called a “Never Event Warranty,” promising to cover all unreimbursed surgical
costs related to a sponge left inside a patient. ("Never event" is an
insurance term that refers to preventable injuries and infections that are
often not reimbursed.)
