Retained Surgical Items: Overview of a Persistent Problem in Health Care: The Official Voice of Perioperative Nursing

ABSTRACT

In 2014, researchers estimated the hospital costs for one RSI to be approximately $70,000;2 and no dollar figure can be placed on the emotional effects of an RSI on surgical team members who pride themselves on providing excellent patient care. A RENEWED COMMITMENT The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic resulted in unprecedented stress on health care workers and affected patient safety efforts. A February 2022 editorial written by leaders of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention noted the decline of several patient safety metrics (eg, bloodstream infections, falls, pressure injuries) in both acute and postacute care settings during the pandemic.4 Now is the time for clinicians and administrators to renew their commitment to keeping patients safe from untoward events such as RSIs.