Evaluation of radiofrequency electronic system in intraoperative monitoring of surgical textiles

Antonio, Adriana Marco; Vieira, Carlos Andre Pereira

doi:10.1590/S1679-45082018AO3997

ABSTRACT

Objective

To test performance of SurgiSafe^®, a radiofrequency electronic device to detect surgical textiles during operations as compared to manual counting.

Methods

Surgical sponges with radiofrequency TAGs were placed in the abdominal cavity of a pig submitted to laparotomy, in randomly distributed sites. The TAGs were counted manually and also using SurgiSafe^®. Positive and negative predictive values, sensitivity, specificity and time required for counting were analyzed for both methods.

Results

Through the analysis of 35 surgical cycles, SurgiSafe^® immediately identified all sponges, with specificity, sensitivity, positive and negative predictive values of 100%. Although not statistically significant, the manual count had sensitivity of 99.72% and specificity of 99.90%.

Conclusion

SurgiSafe^® proved to be an effective device to identify surgical sponges in vivo, in real time; and its use as an adjuvant to manual counting is very helpful to increase patient's safety.

Keywords
Textiles; Foreign bodies; Radio waves; General surgery; Technology assessment, biomedical; Secondary prevention; Surgical sponges; Radio frequency identification device

[1] Corresponding author: Adriana Marco Antonio, VMA Clínica Vascular, Avenida Paulista, 91, room 307 – Bela Vista, Zip code: 01310-000 – São Paulo, SP, Brazil. Phone: (55 11) 3253-0607 E-mail: drika_antonio@yahoo.com.br

Cycle number	Total number of gauzes	Total SurgiSafe^® on table	Total manual count	Manual count time
1	23	23	23	44
2	26	26	26	52
3	30	30	30	72
4	22	22	22	51
5	31	31	31	90
6	33	33	33	109
7	34	34	33	68
8	33	33	33	101
9	38	38	38	91
10	36	36	36	100
11	30	30	29	60
12	34	34	33	91
13	31	31	31	66
14	49	49	49	134
15	26	26	26	93
16	32	32	32	84
17	42	42	42	84
18	23	23	23	43
19	18	18	18	62
20	15	15	15	29
21	35	35	35	85
22	34	34	34	87
23	35	35	35	75
24	35	35	35	91
25	33	33	33	71
26	24	24	25	60
27	31	31	31	95
28	23	23	23	101
29	34	34	34	245
30	32	32	32	104
31	35	35	35	134
32	32	32	32	85
33	42	42	42	123
34	8	8	8	14
35	31	31	31	79

Brasil