Bar Codes Keep Surgical Objects Outside Patients

Posted by Zonk on Saturday December 8, 2007 @06:43PM from the that's-just-where-I-like-them dept.

Reservoir Hill writes "Every year about 1,500 people in the US have surgical objects accidentally left inside them after surgery, according to medical studies. To prevent this potentially deadly problem, Loyola University Medical Center is utilizing a new technology that is helping its surgical teams keep track of all sponges used during a surgical procedure. Each sponge has a unique bar code affixed to it that is scanned by a high-tech device to obtain a count. Before a procedure begins, the identification number of the patient and the badge of the surgical team member maintaining the count are scanned into the counter. When a sponge is removed from a patient, it is scanned back into the system. A surgical procedure cannot end until all sponges are accounted for."

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RFID? by Anonymous Coward · 2007-12-08 19:00 · Score: -1, Redundant

I wonder if they couldn't use some sort of RFID...it would prevent the need for scanning. And, you could tell if there was something inside the patient by just scanning the patient.

Of course, the doctors may not want to let you know if they left something inside you. Malpractice anyone?