BELLEVUE, Wash.--(
BUSINESS
WIRE)--RF Surgical Systems, Inc., the market leader in
retained surgical item (RSI) detection, today announced
that Atlanta Medical Center, a Level 1 Trauma Center based in Atlanta, Ga., has
selected the
RF Assure™ Detection System for use in all of its operating
rooms to prevent the dangerous and costly medical error of retained surgical
items (RSIs). The hospital is among the first to implement this type of
error-preventative technology in the Atlanta
area.
Despite strict counting protocols, sometimes surgical
materials are unintentionally left inside patients post-surgery, jeopardizing a
patient’s safety in the operating room and increasing the risk of liability for
care providers. Additionally, the risk of a retained surgical item is greater
during emergency “no-time-to-count” procedures, such as trauma cases. Following
a rigorous evaluation process, Atlanta
Medical Center
implemented the RF Assure system, a sophisticated detection system that
utilizes radio-frequency (RF) technology to identify and ultimately prevent
RSIs from occurring.
The system includes a soft detection mat that is installed
on the surgical table under the patient. When activated, the mat scans the
surgical site and alerts operating room staff if a surgical sponge or other
RF-tagged material is remaining inside a patient’s body. By using the RF Assure
system, clinicians can prevent unnecessary and costly X-rays, repeat surgeries
and improve overall efficiency in the OR while enhancing patient safety.
“RF Surgical applauds Atlanta
Medical Center
for their leadership in patient safety and commitment to providing optimal
care,” said Jeffrey
Port, founder and
chairman, RF Surgical. “Use of RF Assure in all surgical cases arms providers
such as Atlanta Medical Center with a tool to help eliminate error in the
operating room and to achieve the highest standards of safety and operational
efficiency.”
About RF Surgical Systems, Inc.
RF Surgical Systems, Inc. is the market leader in the prevention and detection
of retained surgical sponges. The RF Surgical Detection System is the preferred
solution in more than 1,000 operating rooms, trauma and labor & delivery
suites nationwide. RF Surgical Systems is based in Bellevue,
Washington with R & D facilities in San Diego, California.
The advanced technologies used in the RF Surgical Detection System are
protected by U.S.
patents. Regulatory clearance to market the system was granted by the U.S. Food
and Drug Administration in November 2006. The company is online at www.rfsurg.com.
Posted by Sean Fenske, Editor-in-Chief, MDT