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A wand waved over patients
while they are still on the operating table could put an end to swabs being
accidentally left behind. The hand-held scanner could be used by surgeons to
check for missing swabs used to mop up blood before they sew up wounds.
According to the UK's National Patient Safety Agency, between 300 and 400
patients a year leave hospital with some kind of foreign body left inside them.
Some develop serious complications as a result of blockages or blood poisoning
caused by the offending item.
The new wand is based on the same technology used by fashion stores to deter
shoplifters. A tiny chip embedded in the plastic security tag triggers an alarm
when the thief reaches the exit. Tests show the wand is 100% successful at
detecting swabs that have been similarly tagged with a radio frequency
identification chip.
At present theatre staff use simple counting procedure to check nothing is
missing at the end of an operation. Swabs and instruments are counted once
before surgery, once during it and again when the incision has been closed. In
some cases, swabs are already tagged with a special strip that makes them
visible on X-rays. Some operating theatres have mobile X-ray machines but
doctors are keen to avoid exposing patients to radiation unless it is absolutely
necessary. The risks increase during emergency operations, where staff are under
more pressure, and in very obese patients, where it's easier to lose surgical
items.
(Ref : The Times of India
dated July 29, 2006)
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