Detection of retained surgical sponges.

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Abstract
Accuracy of radiographic detection of neurosurgical sponges was measured experimentally. Commercially available sponges were inserted into a [human] cadaver in several paravertebral locations and radiographed. A total of 72 radiographs (90 sponges) were assessed, as well as an equal number of radiographs without sponges. The images were viewed by 8 observers, whose responses showed marked variations in both false positives; the 2 types of errors were compensatory and all responses were located along the same receiver-opeating-characteristic curve. Mean false-negative and false-positive rates were both about 10%. False-negative rates varied between 3 and 25% according to the type of sponge.

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