Medication errors are a significant threat to patients every day. An organization devoted to preventing them just released a list of the top preventable medication errors made last year.
A 2016 study by Johns Hopkins concluded that medical errors kill up to 250,000 patients every year in the United States, making them the third leading cause of death in the country. Serious, potentially fatal medical errors include:
· Wrong-site surgery
· Hospital-acquired infection
· A missed diagnosis
Types of Serious Medication Errors
Medication errors are another leading type of medical ...
In terms of safely training new commercial truck drivers, the fox may soon be guarding the henhouse.
The commercial trucking industry is facing a driver shortage. Reportedly the industry is down some 80,000 truckers compared to a year ago. One reason is drug use by commercial truck drivers.
Drug Use by Commercial Truck Drivers
The federal Commercial Driver’s License Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse debuted January 2020. It is the first nationwide effort to keep truck drivers abusing alcohol or illegal drugs off the road.
Trucking companies now must access a database of truckers with ...
An exhaustive look at medical malpractice lawsuits tells us that surgical errors are among the top preventable medical mistakes made, and that nearly one out of every 10 patients who suffers a significant error during surgery dies as a result.
Coverys, a leader in medical professional liability insurance for physicians for over 45 years, has done an extensive study of the causes of surgical and clinical errors. In February 2020, the company released a white paper that examined serious errors made during surgery (“Surgery Risks: Through the Lens of Medical Malpractice Claims.” ...
According to the latest federal data, the number of fatal car crashes decreased in 2019 over 2018, yet it appears they significantly increased in 2020, a year in which fewer drivers were on the road because of COVID-19. Why?
In December 2020 the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration published a review of car and commercial truck accidents for 2019 (“Overview of Motor Vehicle Crashes in 2019”). It provided some good news.
There were fewer motor vehicle crash deaths in 2019 compared to 2018. Nearly 37,000 people died in car and truck accidents, which represented a 2 ...
The grades are in and it appears there are plenty of hospitals that, when it comes to preventing serious medical errors, have much important work to do! The Leapfrog Group, a nonprofit watchdog organization focuses on improving the nation’s healthcare. Founded in 2000, it publishes patient safety grades for U.S. hospitals twice a year. It recently released its “Fall 2020” grades addressing how individual hospitals measured up to medical care benchmarks. Failure by hospitals in some cases meant patients were susceptible to serious errors.
Medical errors represent a ...
We welcome in 2021 with additional warnings on the dangers of unsafe commercial trucks.
There are numerous causes of fatal big rig crashes, many of which focus on unsafe and careless behavior by professional truckers, including:
· Speeding
· Driving while fatigued
· Lane swerving
· Driving distracted
· Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol
However, another frequent, and unrecognized cause, of catastrophic 18-wheeler accidents is unsafe tractor-trailers with serious, life threatening mechanical defects that make them dangerous to other drivers and passengers on ...
Because of the coronavirus, elective surgeries in many St. Louis hospitals are on hold. But some surgeries can’t wait. What are the necessary precautions to take for safe surgeries during the COVID-19 pandemic? Four national medical groups recently announced a plan to avoid serious errors and patient harm during or following surgery.
The plan is an updated guide published previously this year by these four groups:
· American College of Surgeons
· American Society of Anesthesiologists
· Association of periOperative Registered Nurses
· American Hospital Association
With the ...
December is a month of holiday-related parties and festive gatherings, with alcohol consumption a common trait. That is why for almost 40 years December has been deemed “National Impaired Driving Prevention Month." This year’s holiday celebrations may be muted because of COVID-19. But that does not in any way diminish the very real and present danger of drunk driving and drivers under the influence of drugs.
In June the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released its most recent report on fatal drunk-driving crashes in Missouri and the other 49 states. Some of the ...
Hospital intensive care units provide the best, most sophisticated care for patients enduring the most serious medical conditions. But a respected medical organization recently issued warnings about dangerous preventable complications certain ICU patients may needlessly suffer.
Hospital ICUs have been in demand most of this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Patients suffering the most dire threats from the coronavirus are stretching thin ICU beds and resources in St. Louis, in Missouri, and all across the United States.
But in general, the patients most likely to require ICU ...
The findings of a fatal car crash federal investigation followed by new research warns of a threat that will certainly only grow more widespread in the future: distracted drivers relying too heavily on technology. In February of this year the National Transportation Safety Board announced the findings of its investigation into a 2018 California car crash that killed one person. The person who died was the driver of a car on “autopilot.” The car crashed into a concrete median barrier, killing the driver.
Causes of Fatal Car Accident
The NTSB’s investigation determined there ...
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