Ethics challenge winner 2020/2021. The duty of candour: open disclosure of medical errors

In the operating room, a sterile surgical sponge is left in a patient’s abdomen before closing, despite the counts being correct. In one scenario, this patient recovers well without adverse effects and the sponge goes unnoticed entirely. In another instance, the sponge causes inflammation leading to bowel obstruction and perforation, requiring immediate surgical intervention. In a final case, a granulomatous reaction occurs, resulting in an abscess, septic shock, and death. While these situations cover a spectrum of severity – and by no means encompass all possible consequences – they share one thing in common: medical error.