Wrong Patient Errors

A man went into the hospital for prostate surgery. it absolutely was a simple surgery and he ought to have done well. He was otherwise healthy. He was accidentally wheeled into the incorrect space. A physician came into the area holding the incorrect chart and began talking to the patient. He explained that he had cancer and heart disease, and provided the equivalent of death counseling. The patient died that night of a heart attack.

This story told by Tony Robbins on his Live with Power CDs.

A woman was wheeled into the operating space for a diagnostic laparoscopy to seek out out why she couldn't become pregnant. The surgeon didn't listen to her name, and thought she was some other person. He performed a tubal ligation, ensuring that she wouldn't be ready to become pregnant.


This case was one within which Med League provided an operating space professional witness.

A couple of patient transport aides came to a nursing unit recently and place a patient on a stretcher to travel down for neck surgery. The nurse standing within the hallway asked why they were there. She had listened to vary of shift report and knew that patient wasn't scheduled for surgery. She had to insist the transporters, who were arguing along with her, that they were taking the incorrect patient. they'd not checked the patient identification.

This story was shared with me by the workers nurse concerned in stopping the transporters.

A woman with breast cancer received a letter from the hospital billing department that she was being treated for thyroid cancer. the lady believed her cancer had unfold and hysterically known as her daughters to come back to her facet. When her family did additional investigation, they identified the billing clerk had checked out the incorrect medical record - another patient had thyroid cancer.

This story was told by one in all my workers, who left work to be along with her crying mother.

The first 3 cases occurred in hospital settings where patients must always have an identification band on. If swelling prevents use of a wrist band, it ought to be pinned to or hooked up to the patient's robe in another manner. The patient ought to be identified with 2 items of information - a reputation band, a birth date, a reputation - or another manner. the area variety is rarely to be one in all the items of information since it will simply modification.

In the last case, after I heard regarding this letter, I asked my employee if it absolutely was attainable there was miscalculation. It didn't appear right that the patient would verify through a letter that she had thyroid cancer.

What you'll do

• bear in mind the expression regarding computers: "Garbage in, garbage out"? It means if you feed poor quality data into a pc, you are going to induce poor quality data out. Computers will build errors. Healthcare suppliers aren't good. they create mistakes.

• do not switch off your vital thinking after you hear health news. Filter it through a questioning method. will this build sense? Is it in keeping with what you already {know regarding|realize|understand|comprehend|fathom} yourself? produce other individuals told you about this same health issue?

• will the diagnosis build sense in terms of your symptoms? i do know you are thinking that a number of this can be manner beyond your information as a patient, and you cannot be expected to second guess each medical diagnosis. that's true, however you'll question, research, and obtain a second opinion.

• If you're a patient, check that terribly one that is doing one thing to you confirms your identity 1st. this can be a vital patient safety step that ought to never be skipped. it's significantly vital before you receive medications, choose tests, have blood work done, or the other invasive procedure.