At the conclusion of a surgical procedure, it has been determined that one sponge is missing. Which of the following should be done to ensure the sponge has not accidentally been left inside the patient's wound?

Question

1. Pass the radiofrequency wand over the patient's wound to check if the sponge is in the patient.
2. Ask the circulating nurse to return the removed items back into the operating room and conduct the sponge count again.
3. Conduct the count again after the patient has been transported to the postanesthesia care unit.
4. Ask housekeeping personnel to look for the missing sponge while preparing the surgical suite for the next procedure.

Answer 1

Pass the radiofrequency wand over the patient's wound to check if the sponge is in the patient.

Rationale: Retaining items from surgeries is a greater issue than is reported. Surgical sponges are implanted with tags that emit radiofrequencies so that a wand can be used to detect if the sponge has been accidentally left inside of the patient. No items should be removed from the operating room until the surgical item count is accurate. The patient should not be transported to the postanesthesia care unit until all items are accounted for. It is not the housekeeping staff's responsibility to look for the missing sponge.