Two patients left Rhode Island Hospital in Providence recently with operating tools inside their bodies.
The first incident came to light earlier this month, when a piece of a drill bit was found inside a patient’s head. Now it appears a surgical team left an entire pair of forceps inside a patient — a mistake that wasn’t noticed for months.
The hospital has been fined by the state for the incidents, and officials are apologizing.
“I’d like to begin by apologizing to the patients and families involved,” said Dr. John Murphy, the hospital’s chief managing officer.
The hospital must pay $300,000 for the surgery in August, during which a piece of broken drill bit was left in a patient’s skull.
“Mistakes like this should never occur, even though we know they happen at hospitals across the country,” said Dr. Tim Babineau, the hospital’s president and CEO.
The hospital is currently under investigation for another incident in July, when a surgical team is accused of leaving a pair of forceps in a patient’s abdomen. That mistake wasn’t discovered until this month.
A joint investigation by the Department of Health and Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services found the surgical staff at the hospital doesn’t always follow post-op procedures. The investigation also found that numerous complaints about an anesthesiologist not wearing a surgical mask in the operating room went unaddressed.
“You should know that we have been urging our staff to report about any potential safety condition or any possible variation,” Murphy said.
SOURCE: click2houston.com
