Undiagnosed, uncomplicated foreign body in abdominal cavity – A case of medical negligence

Abstract

When a retained surgical foreign body occurs, it poses significant risks to patients, potentially resulting in life-threatening complications. This paper presents the case report of dead body of a female of about 32 years of age brought for medicolegal post-mortem examination with a history of sudden death. Internal examinations revealed adhesion present around the right ovary, right fallopian tube, ceacum, omentum and large intestine with 100ml free fluid in abdominal cavity. On careful blunt dissection of adhesion, a gauze piece was observed in the abdomen cavity that too is having firmly adherent to the surrounding organs. On removing it was of size 29 ×15cm, yellowish - white in colour. This underscores the need for continuous vigilance and adherence to established counting procedures throughout the surgical process to minimize the risk of such adverse events. Excellent communication among surgeons, nurses, and anesthetists during the procedure is key to success.