Deaths due to forgotten swabs in the stomach

Patient advocates warn of consequences of forgotten surgical instruments in the patient's body

On the occasion of its annual convention, which began in Berlin, the Alliance for Patient Safety (APS) warns of the dangerous consequences of forgotten surgical instruments in the patient's body. According to an estimate of the nonprofit association, forgotten swabs, needles and Co. cause between 600 and 700 deaths a year in Germany.

600 to 700 deaths due to forgotten swabs and surgical instruments in the patient's body
It is very rare for doctors to forget any instruments or materials used in an operation in the patient's body. However, if a swab or needle remains in the operated part of the body, it can have life-threatening consequences. As the APS points out, and estimates that in this country 600 to 700 patients could die each year. The numbers are based on studies and surveys.

A US study from 2008 found that in one out of 5,500 surgeries an item is forgotten in the patient's body. Two-thirds of the cases were swabs that can cause serious infections. In Germany, around 15.8 million operations were carried out in 2013. Based on the study's figures, this would correspond to around 2,800 cases in Germany. But there are also expert estimates, which assume an operation of 1,000 procedures in which surgical instruments are forgotten.

The question of how swabs and other materials remain in the patient's body can often not be answered. Because safety measures such as the counting of surgical instruments before and after surgery should prevent such momentous errors. But: where people work, mistakes are made. The GSP therefore demands stricter rules.

APS calls for stronger institutions for more patient safety
The Alliance emphasizes that forgotten surgical instruments are just one example of the risks that patients in hospitals are exposed to. Speaking to the news agency "dpa", APS chairman Hedwig Francois-Kettner explained that patients' interest in the German healthcare system is often neglected. Instead, economic interests are the focus. There is a need for stronger institutions for more patient safety. "We have to recognize that a non-profit association has its limits," continues Francois-Kettner. The APS also organizes doctors, medical societies, clinics and health insurances as members.

At the beginning of the year, the health insurances were asked by the Federal Council to invest up to € 500,000 annually in facilities to improve patient safety. However, it is not expected that the Federal Government will follow this approach.

If patients or their relatives suspect that doctors have gone wrong in their treatment, they can consult with the APS and their health insurance company to investigate such cases.