Safe Patient Project: Medical Errors

Report Finds That Only Half of California Hospital Workers Got Flu Vaccine

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 09:57:55 -0600

Spreading Germs: Low Rates of Flu Vaccination Among California Healthcare Workers Put Patients at Risk (PDF)

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 19:55:16 -0600

Consumers Union Report shows California Department of Public Health is falling behind on collecting and publishing dangerously low vaccination rates to the public.

U.S. Inaction Lets Look-Alike Tubes Kill Patients

Mon, 23 Aug 2010 10:45:40 -0600

Feeding tube hospital errors causing serious injury or death signal problems with hospitals, medical device companies and FDA.

A breakthrough in medical transparency

Mon, 09 Aug 2010 11:59:40 -0600

As part of a two-year investigation, Sun reporters have uncovered some of the dangers patients have unknowingly encountered as they enter delivery rooms, surgical suites and intensive care units, including thousands of cases of injury, death and deadly infection associated with stays in Las Vegas hospitals.

Fire in the OR and how hospitals should report medical mistakes

Mon, 02 Aug 2010 16:25:39 -0600

Blog post by Maggie Mahar, author of Money-Driven Medicine, on the need for hospitals to report medical errors so that they can be prevented.

After Stroke Scans, Patients Face Serious Health Risks

Mon, 02 Aug 2010 15:33:50 -0600

New York Times investigation on radiation overdoses during CT brain perfusion scans, and the long-term risks radiation overdoses can have on patient health. The FDA began an investigation but has yet to provide a final report on what it found.

Girl, 16, dies during restraint at an already-troubled hospital

Mon, 02 Aug 2010 14:46:38 -0600

Tragic story of a young girl who was suffocated in a bean bag chair at a hospital that had been warned by state and federal regulators that patients weren't safe.

Serious medical errors, little public information

Mon, 02 Aug 2010 14:33:22 -0600

Hear from a journalist about how difficult it is to find information about a serious medical error. No matter what source you turn to, you are left with few answers.

Heavy patient falls off operating room table � later dies

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 16:38:28 -0600

A 300-pound sedated patient who was awaiting a routine procedure fell off an operating table and later died. Accidents like these should be prevented before it's too late.

Baby is breast-fed by wrong woman at Virginia Hospital Center

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 12:05:58 -0600

Hospital mix up in patient identification causes newborn to be breastfed by wrong mom.

Screening for Sepsis Could Save Lives, Researchers Say

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 16:50:51 -0600

A recent study in the July issue of Archives of Surgery found that surgery patients are more likely to suffer sepsis or septic shock than blood clots or heart attack.

Ob-Gyns Issue Less Restrictive VBAC Guidelines

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 15:12:20 -0600

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists released guidelines that state it is safe to have a vaginal delivery after a previous delivery by cesarean delivery.

What You Need to Know Before Having an MRI Scan

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 14:08:19 -0600

The magnetic field of the MRI scanner may exert forces on certain implanted objects that are susceptible to the effects of the magnetic field, potentially causing the object to move within the body, which could result in serious harm. Learn how you can help protect yourself.

What You Can Do to Prevent Wrong-Site Surgery

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 14:04:49 -0600

Know what steps you can take to prevent a wrong-site surgery from happening to you or a loved one.

Preventing the Retention of Foreign Objects during Interventional Radiology Procedures

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 13:58:42 -0600

Patient injury reports indicate that it is important to use radiopaque sponges during any IR procedure in order to prevent the retention of foreign objects following IR procedures.