SURGICOUNT

Description of Event or Problem

AT THE END OF THE CASE, THE SPONGE COUNTER MACHINE SAID THAT IT DID NOT RECOGNIZE 5 OF THE LAPAROTOMY (LAP) SPONGES THAT WE HAD USED INTRAOPERATIVELY. IT WAS 100% SOME KIND OF MACHINE/PROGRAM ERROR, BECAUSE STAFF SCANNED THE SPONGES AT THE START OF THE CASE (2 PACKAGES OF LAPS FOR 10 TOTAL AND 1 PACKAGE OF RAYTECS FOR 10 TOTAL). THERE WERE NO SPONGES ADDED TO THE CASE INTRAOPERATIVELY. THE ONLY ODD THING...DURING THE INITIAL SPONGE SCANNING, THE SPONGE COUNTER HAD THE ERROR "ONLY SCAN ONE PACK AT A TIME," BUT THE SURGICAL TECH ONLY HAD 1 PACK OF LAP SPONGES IN HER HAND NEAR THE COUNTER. THE OTHER PACK OF LAPS HAD ALREADY BEEN SCANNED AND WAS ACROSS THE ROOM ON THE OPPOSITE CORNER OF THE TABLE, WELL OUT OF THE COUNTER'S SCANNING RANGE. SHE STEPPED AWAY AND THEN STEPPED CLOSER AND ATTEMPTED TO SCAN THE SINGLE PACK A SECOND TIME, AND THAT TIME IT REGISTERED AS A NEW PACK OF 5.