Common Medical Errors to Watch Out For

Statistics provided by the Institute for Healthcareto be sure and ask during your doctor's visit.
Improvement determine that medical errors that couldUnfortunately, errors are common during surgical
have been avoided are responsible for a whoppingprocedures. Sometimes, a communication error may
238,000 deaths in a two year period. The medicaloccur leaving the surgeon with incorrect information.
errors that cause these deaths then result in raising ourThe severity of these mistakes vary from performing
yearly health care costs by billions of dollars. Almostthe surgery on the wrong site to the wrong person.
one million patients are injured each year as a result ofBefore you go under anesthesia, make sure your
medical errors, and nearly one fifth of those peopledoctor is aware of the form they sign which clearly
end up dying. This is an astounding number of deathsdenotes the surgery and the person it is supposed to
and injuries that could have been prevented.be performed on.
While these numbers have raised a great amount ofMistakes made by pharmacies account for over 30
controversy, very little has been done to implementmillion medical errors each year. It may be that your
change in procedure. Health care workers like doctorsdoctor incorrectly wrote down your prescription or that
and nurses are often overloaded with patients andtheir handwriting was illegible. A pharmacy might fill a
cases which creates a greater chance of making aprescription for the wrong drug or dosage. At hospitals,
mistake. Patients may feel defenseless and at thethey may give you the wrong medication on accident
mercy of their care providers, but there are a fewtoo. You can be proactive as a patient by informing
things that they can do to ensure proper treatment. Byyour pharmacist of any other medications you
understanding the common mistakes, they can takecurrently take that could interact dangerously with your
extra care and caution to protect themselves.new drug. You should even write down the drug and
Medication errors could include prescribing the wrongdosage that your doctor recommends for your own
dosage of a drug, not providing enough informationreference so you can cross-reference that with what
about a drugs side effects, or failing to obtain properyou actually receive from the pharmacy.
medical history regarding drug allergies and currentMistakes made in the laboratory are also very
prescriptions. A doctor may prescribe a drug thatcommon and happen in a variety of different ways
commonly interacts dangerously with anothersuch as incorrect samples. A lab technician may
medication that the patient was already taking.misinterpret the the data provided by the test which
Sometimes the expiration date on a medication will becan lead to an incorrect diagnosis and treatment. The
incorrect. It's up to the patient to remind their physiciansame thing is possible by incorrectly reading a CT or
of the prescriptions they have consumed. Even goingMRI scan. If something in your gut tells you that the
so far as to provide medical history documentation willtest results are incorrect, insist taking another test or
prove helpful.getting a second opinion.
Like mentioned before, doctors are inundated with lotsThese errors made by surgeons, physicians,
of patients on a daily basis. You can imagine howpharmacists and lab technicians can all result in serious
easily they could get their details mixed up from oneinjuries. You would benefit from taking the initiative to
person to another. A physician may not rememberbe proactive in your health care by making sure that
exactly which tests had been performed or whatyour health care providers are certain of who you are
medications were prescribed. As a patient, it wouldand your medical history.
benefit you to come prepared with a list of questions