Fact Figure  Estimated cases of retained sponges per year: 3000 - 5000  Estimated legal cost of retained sponge cases per year (U.S.) $750 Million - $1.5 Billion  Estimated cost of settlement of retained sponge case $300,000  Percentage of “false” correct counts in retained sponge cases 88%  Percentage of inconclusive inter-operative x-rays after incorrect counts: 31%

What Happens When A Count Is Incorrect?

1. The closing of the patient is halted
2. Another sponge count must be initiated
3. The anesthesiologist must adjust dosages to keep the patient out for longer than originally intended/planned while nurses search for the sponge
4. If the sponge is not accounted for, the patient must be temporarily closed up and x-rays must be taken to try to locate the sponge
5. The x-rays must be reviewed by a radiologist
6. The patient must be sent back to the OR to be opened up again and the sponge removed
7. If the sponge is not found, the patient is still discharged but watched for symptoms of infection
   

Tagged Sponges and Products

• Same private-label sponge manufacturer as world’s leading distributors
• FDA 510k approved
• Have passed all biocompatibility tests
• Labels are thermally fused into sponges to prevent dettachment
• Labels are made of liquid-shedding polymers
• Patent protected – no other manufacturer can place any form of identifying information on an individual sponge
• 2.17 billion permutations before a label ID is re-used

Sponge Counter and Software Facts

• Color touch screen
• Read-rate error of 1 in 165 million scans
• 10-hour continuous battery life
• Constructed of rugged / industrial grade materials
• Intuitive, easy-to-use / learn software
• Modifiable user settings
• Audio and visual cues
• Hand-held or hands-free sponge counting modes
• Reports are archived on the counter
• Reports are printed at end of procedure