Hospitals Continue To Leave Foreign Objects Inside Patients

"Utah hospitals continue to mistakenly leave equipment such as sponges inside patients -- many of them women undergoing obstetrical or gynecological surgeries," according to data "on 'sentinel events'" released by the Utah state health department and the state hospital association. Notably, "out of 101 sentinel events reported in 2009 -- up from 80 reported in 2008 -- 58 were related to surgery," which "could include performing the wrong surgery on the wrong patient, death during surgery, and retention of foreign objects." Sponges -- large pieces of gauze used to stop or absorb bleeding -- are the most common items left inside patients because they can be hard to spot after surgery."

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