Medical Mistakes in US Kill 15,000 Patients Every Month

Your local hospital just might be more of a death trap than an actual health care facility. A new report issued by the Office of Inspector General at the Health and Human Services Department (HHS) says that every month roughly 134,000 hospital patients experience some type of adverse event during their stays. And about 15,000 of them die every month due to various medical and surgical errors.

According to the report, such adverse events include surgery mistakes, medication dosage errors, improper care protocols, and transmission of infection due to filthy conditions. In fact, patients are often admitted to hospitals in healthier condition than when they leave (if they even do), and much of the time their health declines are a result of avoidable medical errors.'

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