Prince George’s Hospital Center (PGHC) has selected the RF Surgical Detection System for use in all its surgical suites. The system, based on radio-frequency (RF) detection technology, is designed to identify and prevent retained surgical items (RSI) from remaining inside a patient following surgery. As an adjunct to the standard practice of manual counting, the system is being used to enhance patient safety in all the hospital’s operating rooms. Since adoption, the hospital reports there have been zero incidents.

According to RF Surgical Systems, while manual counting procedures remain a standard-of-care in preventing retained surgical objects, the ability to detect surgical materials immediately and verify counting, provides assurance in reducing and eliminating costly errors and improves patient safety. The company says that when the system is activated and the wand is passed over a patient, an audible and visible alarm alerts the OR surgical team that a surgical sponge (or other material) fitted with an RF tag, is remaining inside a patient’s body. With this information, clinicians can remove the item immediately, thus potentially preventing repeat surgeries and unnecessary x-rays.

“The RF Surgical Detection System is a critical safety net that enhances surgical staff confidence in a setting where quick and efficient decision-making is mandated,” says H.S. Ajrawat, MD, chairman, Department of Surgery, Prince George’s Hospital Center. “Our mission is to achieve zero mistakes, and this easy-to-operate technology can help patients avoid unnecessary complications when a surgical sponge is inadvertently left behind.”

An estimated 1,500 to 2,000 retained surgical item cases occur each year in the United States, according to Verna Gibbs, MD, FACS, of the NoThing Left Behind project. According to a summary of sentinel events reported to The Joint Commission, the number of RSIs nearly doubled in 2010 compared with 2008. Unintended retention of a foreign body is among the top 10 sentinel events reported to The Joint Commission.

“At Prince George’s Hospital Center we strive to provide the very best care for our valued patients. The use of an adjunctive technology to further help prevent medical errors in the surgical setting is an important tool in providing the highest quality of care of patients and support for our dedicated surgical staff,” adds John A. O’Brien, president, Prince George’s Hospital Center. “I am thrilled to be able to offer this valuable check and balance technology in our surgical suites.”

Prince George's Hospital Center, located in Cheverly, MD, is a 256 bed acute care hospital with a Level - II Trauma Center. In addition, the Hospital Center has a full service cardiac care program. RF Surgical Systems, Inc is based in Bellevue, WA, with R&D facilities in San Diego.