10 Most Common Medical Mistakes

Definition
"The failure of a planned action to be completed as intended or the use of a wrong plan to achieve an aim. Errors can include problems in practice, products, procedures, and systems. Briefly It is preventable adverse event

Startling statistics
In United States about 48,000 to 98,000 deaths per year. 8 th leading cause of mortality, surpassing RTA (43,000), Cancer (42,000),AIDS (16000 ). 2.4 million prescriptions per year were incorrect in Massachuettes state out of 50.

Medical errors cost about 37 billion $ per year,which about half this sum pay for direct health care.
In UK about 40,000 deaths per year.

Five different classification schemes

1. Type of health care given. ( medical.Surgical,Diagnostic) 2.Severity of injury. (Minor dis comfirt. severe injury, death) 3.Legal definition. (Negligence, malpractice.)
4.Setting. (Nursing home, ER, ICU, hospital, ) 5.Person involved. ( Physician, nurse, pharmacist.)

Causes of Medical Errors

1. Communicatiion error.

2. Increasing Specialization & fragmentation of health care.

3. Human errors resulting from overwork & burnout. 4. Manufacturing errors.

5. Equipment failure.
6. Diagnostic error. 7. Poorly designed buildings & facilities.

Praposals for Improvement

1. Standardize medical equipments & build in mechanical safe gaurd against human error.
2. Improve the working condition for nurses & hospital staff. 3. Make use of new technology to improve accuracy in medication dosage & recording patients Vital sings. 4. Develop a nationwide database for error reporting & analysis. 5. Encourage the patient to become more active participant in their own health care.

Praposals for Improvement

6.Both patients & physician have emotional as well as knowledge related needs on this issue. A report of Journal of American Medical Association in Feb 2003, says patients clearly wants emotional support from their doctors in case of error including an apology.They also found the doctors are also upset & need an emotional support.

What patient can do ?

Five steps to safer Health care
1.Do not hesitate to ask questions about your health care. 2. Keep list of all medication .

3. Ask the result of all tests & procedure.

4. Find out what choices are available to you.

5. In case of surgery-ask for procedure itself,reason for it, exactly what will happen during the operation.

1.

WHAT SURGEONS FORGET

Scissors
Gauze Screws Forceps Towels Metal clamps

2. COSMETIC GOOF-UP

Breast augmentation

Plastic surgery of nose

Facelifts

3. REMOVING WRONG PARTS

Amputation of wrong foot. Removal of wrong kidney. Removal of wrong testicle. Open heart invasive procedure. on wrong pt. Wrong sided brain surgery.

4. NOT ENOUGH ANAESTHESIA

Waking during surgery and feeling pain,pressure,discomfirt without being able to cry out. Known as Anesthetic awareness

5. DANGEROUS DELAY

Not mobilised to provide timely care to patients.

6. UNNECESSARY DRUGS

Overuse and misuse of drugs.

7. ENDLESS TEST

The days of the doctor who detects disease in the patient appearance, gait and pulse are almost gone.

8. SECONDARY INFECTION

Infection spread from hospital is rampant in the country.

9. BAD HANDWRITING

The risk of getting a similar-sounding but wrong drugs is far too real. Arkamine for Artamine Isoprine for isoptine Digene for Digoxine

10. DRUG DEPENDENCY

.
Sleeping pills and Anti depressants are heavily over-prescribed across the country.
Alprazolam in perticular.

So, please take care and do n0t commit any one of them.

MORAL

FAIR PRACTICE

Thank you