Amgal

Hi there! I read the info re: bar coding the sponges. Interesting idea but I don't think it is necessary. I have watched a number of surgeries and as long as the nurses line up the items to be counted in an orderly way the system works well. Time is of the essence in surgery. It is necessary to take the time to make the counts count! If the nurses were to use a bar code, what happens when the scanner doesn't scan properly (it happens so often in the grocery line). The cashier has to type in the bar code number and then press enter. For the grocery line it works, but for the surgeon, I don't think so. Again another example in the grocery line, sometimes the scanner accidentally beeps twice if you hold the lazer a little too long, then you get a double count. Can you imagine all the beeping and re-beeping to get the exact count? I do not think this is the way to go to handle the problem of left-overs in the body after surgery. Get the primary nurse to count and have another nurse count to confirm her original count. Keep it simple and quick. That's my advise! Anna Marie