University of California San Francisco Medical Center Adopts SurgiCount Safety-Sponge(TM) System

DUBLIN, Ohio, March 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Cardinal Health, Inc., the leading provider of products and services supporting the health care industry, today announced that the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) Medical Center has signed an agreement to use SurgiCount Medical's Safety-Sponge(TM) System at its Mt. Zion and Parnassus hospitals along with its ambulatory surgery center.

In 2006, Cardinal Health signed a national distribution agreement with SurgiCount Medical, a wholly owned subsidiary of Patient Safety Technologies, Inc., (OTC Pink Sheets: PSTX.PK) to make available its patented Safety Sponge(TM) System to hospitals and surgery centers across the country through its Presource(R) surgical kits and trays.

SurgiCount's patented computer-assisted counting process has a positive impact on the prevention of retained sponge incidents and patient safety. Working much like a grocery store checkout system, every surgical sponge and towel is pre-labeled by the manufacturer with an individual and unique bar- coded label, and a scanning counter is used to read and record the labels. No change is required in a hospital's established counting procedures: sponges are counted and recorded by the system at the beginning of the procedure and again as they are removed from the patient. It is the only computer-assisted system for counting sponges cleared by the FDA.

"It is a privilege to partner with hospitals such as UCSF to support their efforts to improve patient safety in the operating room," said Brik Eyre, President of Cardinal Health's Presource(R) Products and Services business.

Ranked as one of the nation's top 10 hospitals by U.S. News & World Report, UCSF Medical Center is recognized throughout the world as a leader in medicine. With the resources of an academic medical center, their expertise covers virtually all areas of health care and they have more than 900 doctors that not only have access to the latest technologies, but are often the doctors who develop them. The Parnassus campus includes a 600-bed hospital and is home to UCSF Children's hospital. The Mt. Zion campus is an innovative hub of specialized clinics and surgery services as well as a center for comprehensive cancer care.

"We are very excited about bringing aboard the UCSF Medical Center, as UCSF was the first hospital to evaluate the SurgiCount Safety-Sponge System in late 2005. After evaluating other systems, UCSF believes that the Safety Sponge System provides an added layer of security that is in line with AORN standards for sponge counting," said Rick Bertran President of SurgiCount Medical. "We are proud to be the chosen solution of such a renowned and respected institution."

About Cardinal Health

Headquartered in Dublin, Ohio, Cardinal Health, Inc. is an $81 billion, global company serving the health-care industry with a broad portfolio of products and services. Through its diverse offerings, Cardinal Health delivers health-care solutions that help customers reduce their costs, improve safety and productivity, and deliver better care to patients. The company manufactures, packages and distributes pharmaceuticals and medical supplies, offers a range of clinical services and develops automation products that improve the management and delivery of supplies and medication for hospitals, physician offices and pharmacies. Ranked No. 19 on the Fortune 500, Cardinal Health employs more than 55,000 people on six continents. More information about the company may be found at http://www.cardinalhealth.com/.