The count reconciled. The X-ray came back clean. The needle was still in the cavity. The Clean Read Illusion unpacks why the two safeguards every OR team relies on — the count and the confirmatory X-ray — fail in ways the field rarely names out loud, including an intraoperative X-ray sensitivity of just 30% for retained needles. This 8-page, evidence-based review breaks down where the gaps hide, what a single miscount really costs, and what a real safety net requires — plus the practical steps your team can take to close the gap. Download it to see what a clean read can miss.