Retained foreign bodies during surgery in pediatric patients: a national perspective.
BACKGROUND
Attention has been placed on surgical and medical errors, though there is a lack of data on the frequency of some complications.


METHODS
International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification, code 998.4 and E code 871.0 were used to search a database from the United States.


RESULTS
In the Kids' Inpatient Database 2003, there were 103 reports of retained foreign bodies after surgery (incidence, 0.0031%) with a mean age of 11.5 years. There was a wide range between the 36 states sampled. Total charges for a patient with this complication are $56,683 (95% confidence interval, $41,327-$72,039); mean length of stay is 10.5 days. There is an increased charge of $42,077 in patients who have this complication (P < .0001). Of the cases, 74% occurred at teaching institutions.


CONCLUSIONS
On a national perspective in the United States, the rate of a retained foreign body is 0.0031% or approximately 1 in 32,672 cases and is associated with an increased charge of $42,077 for this complication. Comparative data demonstrate that pediatric surgery in the United States is exceptionally safe with regard to retained foreign bodies.
Division of Otolaryngology, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC 20010, USA. rshah@cnmc.org
Rahul K
RK
Shah
Lina
L
Lander
D000293:Adolescent; D017677:Age Distribution; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D016208:Databases, Factual; D005260:Female; D005547:Foreign Bodies / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006776:Hospitals, Pediatric; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D019300:Medical Errors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D011336:Probability; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D012086:Reoperation; D018570:Risk Assessment; D017751:Safety Management; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013525:Surgical Instruments / Q000009:adverse effects; D013514:Surgical Procedures, Operative / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods; D015503:Surgical Sponges / Q000009:adverse effects; D015996:Survival Rate; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology