ACS Issues Patient-Safety Statements on Preventing Retained Foreign Bodies After Surgery, Needlestick Injuries
CHICAGO -- With patient safety at the forefront of its efforts to safeguard the care of the surgical patient, the Board of Regents of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) at its June 2005 meeting approved two statements intended to augment current efforts to safeguard patients during surgical procedures. The first Statement on Prevention of Retained Foreign Bodies after Surgery strongly urges individual hospitals and healthcare organizations to take all reasonable measures to prevent the retention of foreign bodies in the surgical wound.
In the statement, the ACS offers guidelines for preventing such occurrences, including the encouragement of good communication among perioperative personnel and the consistent application of reliable and standardized processes of care. The statement also recommends efforts for preventing the retention of sponges, sharps, instruments and other items, which include counting procedures, wound exploration prior to closure of the surgical site, use of items that are X-ray detectable, and extensive documentation of the factors that affect the OR environment. Furthermore, the ACS concludes that "surgical facilities must provide resources to ensure that necessary equipment and personnel are available to support these perioperative surgical safety measures."
The Statement on Blunt Suture Needles addresses the need for methods of reducing the rate of cuts and needlestick injuries that occur during operations. This statement explains that cuts and needlestick injuries happen in approximately one to 15 percent of all operations, with the most common cause of suture needle injury being the suturing of fascia, during which 59 percent of all suture needle injuries occur. Therefore, ACS believes that blunt suture needles should be available in various sizes and with a range of suture adequate for different surgical applications and that the use of blunt suture needles is an important factor in reducing or even eliminating a prevalent occupational hazard for surgeons.
Source: The American College of Surgeons
Back to Basics: Hospital Restores Catheter-Associated UTI Rates to Prepandemic Baseline
June 16th 2025A 758-bed quaternary medical center slashed catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) by 45% over 2 years, proving that disciplined adherence to fundamental prevention steps, not expensive add-ons, can reverse the pandemic-era spike in device-related harm.
Beyond the Surface: Tackling the Sterilization Challenges of Flexible Endoscopes
May 26th 2025Flexible endoscopes revolutionized modern medicine—but their complex design poses persistent sterilization challenges. With mounting infection risks and emerging innovations, experts are rethinking how to clean and safeguard one of health care’s most indispensable tools.
Silent Saboteurs: Managing Endotoxins for Sepsis-Free Sterilization
Invisible yet deadly, endotoxins evade traditional sterilization methods, posing significant risks during routine surgeries. Understanding and addressing their threat is critical for patient safety.
