Radiofrequency-Based Identification Medical Device: An Evaluable Solution for Surgical Sponge Retrieval?

Area of Science:

• Medical Devices
• Surgical Safety
• Radiofrequency Identification Technology

Background:

• Retained surgical items (gossypiboma) remain a persistent challenge in healthcare despite existing safety protocols.
• Radiofrequency identification technology (RFID) presents an innovative approach to enhance the accuracy of surgical sponge counts.
• Current methods for tracking sponges require improvement to reduce errors and increase surgical procedure effectiveness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce an automated RFID system for real-time surgical sponge tracking.
• To reduce errors and improve patient safety in the operating room through advanced technology.
• To present a feasible and reliable method for preventing retained surgical items.

Main Methods:

• The system utilizes three antennas, RFID-tagged surgical sponges, and Wi-Fi enabled software for real-time communication.
• Antennas facilitate initial sponge counts, continuous monitoring during surgery (including sponges in kick-buckets), and verification in case of discrepancies.
• Dedicated software manages the entire tracking process from start to finish.

Main Results:

• In vitro and in vivo tests demonstrated excellent accuracy in detecting sponges within patients, achieving 100% detection rates even for overlapped items.
• The system recorded no false positives or false negatives, indicating high reliability.
• Sponge counting procedures were streamlined and more efficient, potentially saving time during standard surgical operations.

Conclusions:

• The RFID sponge tracking system is a reliable and feasible method for accurately tracking sponges in the operating room.
• Experimental results confirm the system's safety and effectiveness in preventing retained surgical items.
• The RFID system offers acceptable cost-effectiveness, making it a viable solution for improving surgical safety.