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As part of its campaign to promote patient safety awareness, the World Health Organization (WHO) says the risks of medical errors and hospital infections are greater than those of flying.
The WHO's new Envoy for Patient Safety, Sir Liam Donaldson, said dying from hospital error occurs to 1 in 300 people, compared to flying, which claims 1 in 10 million lives.
Of course, infections rates are even higher. In developed countries, about 7% of patients contract infections. Developing countries are normally at 10-15%, with some reaching 16% infection rate. The hospital infection rate in the United States runs as low as 4.5%, while the rate in Europe is around 7% and the rate in Canada is 11.6%.
In developed countries, urinary tract infections involving urinary catheters are most common, although they are not particularly dangerous. In less-developed nations, the predominant infections are surgical-site infections. Approximately one in three patients suffer from post-surgical infections, although that figure is probably a low estimate because many patients realize this after leaving the hospital. Of course, this can prolong a patient's stay in the hospital, stretching a nation's already-stretched medical resources.
The WHO recommended for doctors to wash their hands more often and more thoroughly with water and soap or alcohol solutions before treating patients.
As a practicing medical malpractice, wrongful death, and personal injury attorney in New York, I deal with the consequences of medical errors like these every day. If you would like more information about how medical malpractice cases work in the state of New York, I encourage you to explore my educational website http://www.oginski-law.com. If you have legal questions, I urge you to pick up the phone and call me at 516-487-8207 or by e-mail at lawmed10@yahoo.com to answer your questions. That's what I do every day. I welcome your call.
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