[nursestudent]

I am a nursing student, I am doing an assignment on ethical dilemmas. If you were a nurse and you saw that a surgeon did not account for a suture after a patient had an operation, would you report this incident to the supervisor?
one suture is still inside the patient, and the surgeon does not want the patient to know about this. Thank you

nursing student

[grapejam88]

It depends...were they dissolving stitches???

[cassioo]

I'm guessing you mean there is a needle still inside. Everyone is accountable for the count with the circulator and the scrub tech doing the counting. If the count is wrong at the end of a case you should get and x-ray. Also if there is an emergency and no time to count when the case starts you should get an x-ray when the case is over. The doc can order no x-ray but you have to document that doc ordered no x-ray. If you report count is correct and it's not then it's your butt.

[nursestudent]

Thank you for the reply to the email. I don't know if the stitches were absorbable. The incident was discussed with the surgeon with another nurse, but the surgeon said that the suture would not harm the patient. the other nurse is not sure if she should discuss this with someone else.

[nursinghumor]

Here is a related Malpractice case. Sponges, instruments and other items are left in patients more often than hospitals care to admit. They're a major cause of malpractice suits.

May 23, 1999: Sponge Count Off, Patient Develops Sepsis, Surgeon Blames Nurse.
Sponge Counts are a basic and critical safety measure during a surgical operation. In this case, the standard three counts were not performed. A sponge was left in the patient that would later lead to infection. When the issue went to court, the surgeon claimed "it was not his responsibility" to keep track of the sponges. Johnston v. Southwest Louisiana Assn. 693 So. 2d 1195 –LA (1997)
http://www.nursefriendly.com/nursing...ses/052399.htm

In typical fashion, the doctor is blaming the nurse for the screw-up in this case.

Andrew Lopez, RN
http://www.nursingcasestudy.com

[cassioo]

Discovery Health night before last had a man on there that had a 13" retractor left in...how do you lose a retractor?

[nursinghumor]

The same way you can lose other things. Take this case for instance.

August 29, 1999: Surgeon "Loses Clamp" Behind Patient's Heart During Bypass. Nurse's Responsibility To Pick Up?
Summary: During any surgical operation, there is an inherent "duty" owed to the patient that the operation will be carried out competently. This includes carrying out specified procedures and taking measures to prevent "foreign" objects from being left in the body cavity. In this case, during a coronary artery bypass grafting, a clamp slipped from the surgeon's sight. It would be found on x-ray later sitting behind the patient's heart."
http://www.nursefriendly.com/nursing...ses/082999.htm
************************************************** ****

You'd be amazed a the types of lawsuits that have gone to court against nurses.

You can find a few at http://www.nursingcasestudy.com

Andrew Lopez, RN
http://www.4nursing.com

[Enerjan]

I work in L&D and have circulated many C-sections, and the doctor does NOT close until the count is correct, meaning all laps, needles, blades, instruments accounted for. That is my responsibility as circulator. If something is missing that can't be accounted for, and X-ray is ordered and read while still in the OR, to make sure it is not in the patient. Good luck with your research. Kisses!!