6 Most Common Mistakes Doctors Commit That Kill People

Updated on April 24, 2020

There is no doubt that humans have come a long way in the field of medical sciences, and the last couple of decades have been incredible in terms of innovative breakthroughs. But, our precious little world has also been experiencing newer pathogens induced diseases proportionately.

As a result, multitudes of patients visit hospitals every day. Therefore, the pressure on the medical staff is immense, which is why the number of medical errors has also been increasing at an alarming rate. Various studies report that medical errors are one of the leading causes of death. Therefore, we have listed here six most common mistakes committed by doctors so that you comprehend the fact that doctors make mistakes as well, and you will have to guard yourself against them. 

1.     Mixing up patients:

Botch-up of patients is more common than you may think, as several hospitals had reported incidents when doctors ended up operating on the wrong patient. This confusion may happen between patients who share the same name and belong to the same age demographic. Therefore, whenever nurses come to take you for a scheduled procedure, ask about it to confirm that it is meant for you.

2.     Leaving the urinary catheter in for too long:

Hospitals are the hotbeds of diseases nowadays, and the most common infection one can get is the urinary tract infection. Multiple studies have reported that these infections are mostly the result of the negligence shown by hospital staff as they keep the catheter in longer than required.

3.     Getting infected via ventilators:

Ventilators are hotbeds of infections as they are often used as lifesaving equipment for patients with lung issues. It is reported that ventilators have caused a considerable number of pneumonia cases as pathogens enter the breathing tube and sneak into the lungs. Therefore, it must be ensured by doctors that they sterilize the ventilator after every usage.

4.     Wrong diagnosis:

It makes sense when doctors make the wrong diagnosis when it comes to complicated diseases because such patients exhibit confusing symptoms. But, a lot of doctors are failing to identify even the most common diseases like cardiovascular ailments, cancer, and hypertension. Therefore, you must not be a passive listener while dealing with doctors so that they think twice before giving you a diagnosis.

5.     Operating on the wrong body part:

It may sound incredibly ridiculous, but there have been reports of incidents when doctors ended up operating on the wrong body part of patients and ended up getting sued. Therefore, make sure that you ask your doctors to mark the body part before the surgery so that such a blunder can be avoided.

6.     Leaving objects inside the body:

According to a study by US Today, doctors leave behind foreign objects inside patients more often than you can imagine. It is reported that the frequency of such incidents is twelve per day, which means that twelve patients have to deal with the consequences of such unwarranted situations.

There was an incident of a woman who had a C-section, but her surgeon forgot a sponge inside, which blocked her bowels and caused infections. She had to undergo an additional surgery which her insurance company refused to cover, and the hospital was sued for damages.

Now that you fully understand the various ways doctors can make mistakes, you must strive to communicate well with the doctor and inform him of your reservations so that he is cautious about making these common mistakes.

The Editorial Team at Healthcare Business Today is made up of skilled healthcare writers and experts, led by our managing editor, Daniel Casciato, who has over 25 years of experience in healthcare writing. Since 1998, we have produced compelling and informative content for numerous publications, establishing ourselves as a trusted resource for health and wellness information. We offer readers access to fresh health, medicine, science, and technology developments and the latest in patient news, emphasizing how these developments affect our lives.