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Guideline Implementation: Prevention of Retained Surgical Items
AORN Journal
|June 29, 2016
Summary
Preventing retained surgical items (RSIs) requires a team approach, minimizing distractions during counts, and consistent methods. Adhering to updated guidelines helps perioperative nurses prevent these serious medical errors.
Area of Science:
- Surgical Safety
- Medical Error Prevention
Background:
- Retained surgical items (RSIs) are preventable medical errors causing patient harm.
- Perioperative Registered Nurses (RNs) are crucial in preventing RSIs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight key recommendations from the updated AORN "Guideline for prevention of retained surgical items."
- To guide perioperative personnel in implementing effective RSI prevention strategies.
Main Methods:
- Focuses on key points of the AORN guideline.
- Emphasizes a multidisciplinary approach to RSI prevention.
- Details strategies for item accounting, preventing device fragment retention, and reconciling counts.
Main Results:
- Team responsibility for RSI prevention is essential.
- Minimizing distractions, noise, and interruptions during counts improves accuracy.
- Consistent counting methods and discrepancy reconciliation are vital.
Conclusions:
- Implementing the AORN guideline promotes optimal patient care by preventing retained surgical items.
- Perioperative RNs should integrate these key points into practice and update policies.
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