Counts for Vaginal Hysterectomy

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Question: do your hospitals do full instrument counts for total lady partsl hysterectomies? Or do you only count sponges and sharps (needles, bovie tips, hypos, blades, etc.)? I've never done one and I've heard from people online that do it both ways. I can't find a specific definitive answer online, so if you have an article to go along with it that would be greatly appreciated. I just want to know what the standard practices are. Thanks!

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Specializes in OR.

Hello, 

According to AORN's 2016 "Retained Surgical Items Prevention Checklist," instruments should be counted if you are entering a cavity (pelvic, thorax, or abdomen). Instrument counts should be performed if you can leave an instrument in the wound. Also, it should be performed if the possibility of extending the incision exists (going to full abdominal hysterectomy). 

I know it's old school not to do an instrument count for vag hysts, but AORN recommendations do support the claim to count. 

https://www.aorn.org/-/media/aorn/essentials/retained-surgical-items/files/policy-and-procedure_retainedsurgicalitems.docx

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