250,000/yr. die of medical mistakes, - - -

treeguy64

treeguy64

Hari Om, y'all!
Location
Austin, TX.
yet the CDC refuses to count it in its stats on causes of yearly deaths. MM's are the third leading cause of death, in the US. Folks, think this over: 250,000/365=about 700 deaths EACH AND EVERY DAY, because your doctor/nurse/PA/NP/nurse's aide was too stupid and/or too careless to pay attention to the details involved with keeping you alive and healthy!

I experienced two medical mistakes: First, I was prescribed Doxycycline for an infection. "Wait," I said, to the PA. "Isn't that the same as Vibramycin?" "Oh no, two different drugs." Then I went to the pharmacist. "No, they are two different drugs." Then I went to the internet: SAME DAMN DRUG! I'm very allergic to it. I saved my own life, maybe, because the PA AND the pharmacist were too stupid to be doing their jobs!

Next, I was in hospital for some minor, but overnight, surgery. On my data sheet i clearly wrote: "Hyper-allergic to MSG." Next morning, I get pancakes in a cello wrap. I read the ingredients: "MSG!" Idiots! This is NOT acceptable.

The medical profession is dumbing down as doctors hustle to make more money and lose interest in providing quality patient care. Their help is stupid, often doesn't speak plain English (in The States), and just shouldn't be working in a position of semi-authority over their charges.

The CDC MUST begin to keep track of all MM deaths in the US. Only in that way will the light be shined bright enough on the bumbling healthcare profession that gets worse as time passes. Write to the CDC and tell them your views on this important subject!
 

Rant away ! Mistakes DO happen. BUT.....If I'm sick (& maybe dying) I'm still going to my doctor/hospital and YOU probably will also

if YOU are sick/dying ! What else IS there? (Unless you happen to be a Christian Scientist !)
 
Many statistics point to Medical Mistakes as being the 3rd leading cause of deaths in the U.S. Given that we are seeing an increasing shortage of doctors...especially primary care doctors...that number is bound to rise. More and more resources are being consumed by things like Opioid addictions, and doctors often haven't the time to fully analyze a patients symptoms until they become almost critical. It is Imperative that people take steps to reduce their chances of illness...lose weight, eat a proper diet, and get some meaningful exercise, etc. At the bare minimum, with all the good information available on the Internet, a person should Always do some research on their own to make sure that what they are hearing from the doctor is the best choice.

Doctors are....after all...only human, and given the screwups that most people do during their lifetimes, it is rather optimistic to assume that a doctor is always right.
 

Another good reason to really consider a second opinion. And a really good reason to do ones own research on meds, procedures, therapies & such.
We might not understand it clinically as a doctor might but!.....we may just spot something hinkey .
 
rgp said:
Another good reason to really consider a second opinion. And a really good reason to do ones own research on meds, procedures, therapies & such.
We might not understand it clinically as a doctor might but!.....we may just spot something hinkey .
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Especially if you have serious allergies to certain medications, as I do. And every doctor I see, every time I see him/her that might require medications, I state those allergies and make sure they really hear me. Then I also consult the pharmacist.
 
The exact same thing happened to my husband.
Back spasms sent him to the E.R.
as he was getting ready to be discharged,the nurse came in with a Celebrex prescription, I said he cant take that, he's allergic to Bactrin to which she responded, its ok,they dont contraindicate with each other,I stood my ground and she went and looked up the PDR,which told her I was right.
She didnt acknowledge the mistake and we left.
 
Forgot to mention earlier....there is a local law firm [ambulance chasers] that specialize in this very thing. Ads on TV all the time...lucrative field for sure....
 
.

My father had a minor heart attack and was successfully on a certain heart drug for many years. Then for some reason unknown to me, he switched to a new doctor who favored a different drug. Shortly afterwards, my father had a fatal heart attack. I can't prove it, but I think it was the change in drugs that fostered the fatal heart attack.

In her 50s my sister complained to the doctor of a digestive problem. She underwent a scan that [supposedly] showed unrelated cancer in the region. She took chemo drugs and suffered with all the horrific side effects. She was in "remission" for awhile, but later took a couple more chemo series. After 10 years [age 66] she died of leukemia which was a side effect of the chemo therapy.
 
Thinking like a pilot here and just like whenever a plane goes down or has a serious mechanical issue, the NTSB recommends to the FAA a corrective action. Having stated this, I think maybe if it’s possible to have a software developed whereby all of the patient’s medications can be put into a computer and the software would run a check to find out if any of them conflict with one another or go against the patient’s healthcare record that shows any allergies to any of the medication’s ingredients.

That would probably be a pretty expensive software to develop, but if it saves lives, why not spend the money?
 
oldman said:
Thinking like a pilot here and just like whenever a plane goes down or has a serious mechanical issue, the NTSB recommends to the FAA a corrective action. Having stated this, I think maybe if it’s possible to have a software developed whereby all of the patient’s medications can be put into a computer and the software would run a check to find out if any of them conflict with one another or go against the patient’s healthcare record that shows any allergies to any of the medication’s ingredients.

That would probably be a pretty expensive software to develop, but if it saves lives, why not spend the money?
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I read somewhere ?? That , that very thing is someday going to be done at birth, and a 'chip' containing the information will be implanted under our skin....after that we can be scanned.....just like dog.

Yes amazing...and yet at the same time a tad scary.
 
Falcon said:
Rant away ! Mistakes DO happen. BUT.....If I'm sick (& maybe dying) I'm still going to my doctor/hospital and YOU probably will also

if YOU are sick/dying ! What else IS there? (Unless you happen to be a Christian Scientist !)
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Ah, so let's just shrug off 250,000 deaths a year with a simple, "Mistakes DO happen." Gimme a damn break! When I'm sick, the LAST person I want to see is a doctor. I want to read up on my symptoms, get an idea of what may be wrong with me, and then try alternatives to the garbage that doctors want to ram down the throats of those unfortunate enough to end up in their office. I had an allergy. The doc I went to prescribed a med that an allergist later told me I was very lucky I had read up on its contraindications and NOT taken. The pharmacist said the exact same thing. You do what you want, but don't assume everyone is like you.
 
rgp said:
I read somewhere ?? That , that very thing is someday going to be done at birth, and a 'chip' containing the information will be implanted under our skin....after that we can be scanned.....just like dog.

Yes amazing...and yet at the same time a tad scary.
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And then there are the Elective surgeries...all the replacements etc...and the replacement forums are full of botched sloppy surgeries. I had a THR in 2010 and I lived but am pretty disabled from the mess of the surgeon's work.

My knee is pretty nasty but I'm avoiding a TKR and working as best I can to keep going, it's limited but I could end up worse. They are crapshoots...

And yes I know many are successful as I know some will go there..
 
Timetrvlr said:
So, 250,000/yr die from medical mistakes but no mention of how many were saved by medical science? I'm betting that it's millions!
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This is not the topic...why not start your topic on your medical science. There is the ying and yang to everything. I've lost a few people recently due to pharma medicine.
 
C'est Moi said:
Exactly. It is important that we be our own best advocate.
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^This, I can't tell you how many times I've had to come to my own rescue behind medical mishaps of various docs including where a couple of weeks ago I was summoned to the docs office and given scripts for meds in being that I was in so much distressed I stupidly just went ahead and took them hoping for relief. I had many side affects from one medicine in particular Hydroxynine generic for Vistaril, my blood pressure numbers shot up 210/103. Of course, upon doing more research on the meds, I found in no way should I have been taking those medicines with the medicines I had already been on as they would interfere with my bp meds. There wasn't an excuse for the doc not knowing of the other drugs since we had discussed what I was taking prior to him prescribing. Those meds stated they shouldn't be taken if I was on bp or seizure both of which I take.

I take some responsibility for what could have been a much worse turn out had I not stopped taken those meds immediately and for even taking them to begin with, but lets just say, I though maybe in this case being in such distress, I'd give the doctors the benefit of the doubt and chance it. Never again.

Just yesterday, I was at the doctors, I was told by my primary doc and another doctor who was making rounds with him, what not to do when treating a wound I had, their senior doctor came in after as always, (as many of the doctors are interns) and told me to do do just the opposite of what they had said. First was to put neosporin on would and keep unbandaged, Sr doc, no types of neosporin, just vaseline and keep badaged. :dunno:

Don't get me wrong, I believe the majority of doctors know what they are doing, I've had some excellent doctors along my journey, but, just be aware, not all get it right all of the time or even much of the time, so do ask the right questions not just of the doctors but of pharmacist and then check up information about the medicines and or with other doctors if necessary depending on the circumstances.
 
When they elevate themselves to a God-like status and develop the aura that gives that how dare you question me persona they become very dangerous individuals,IMHO.
Every human being can be ill,distracted,sleep deprived and not give 100% to what they're doing.
 
Just ask any V.A hospital how many Veterans died in their Hospital today? they will never give you an answer. I was on an investigation team one time, met with the director of a V.A. Hospital , we asked him how many Veterans died that day never got an answer.
 
C'est Moi said:
Exactly. It is important that we be our own best advocate.
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I agree with you on this but they don't like advocates much. You really have to be persistent if it's for yourself or someone else. The medical business is a mess beyond anything I can explain. It's busy rushed and in nursing homes where I work, it's all about the chart and what everything looks like.

And sadly you have those there for the paycheck and the ones doing their best fear the administration because they actually like those fast ones that get out on time every day. Not the ones putting in the overtime. no, no, no, no, no. Money!

It's scary, it's like the human just doesn't matter.
 
Giantsfan1954 said:
When they elevate themselves to a God-like status and develop the aura that gives that how dare you question me persona they become very dangerous individuals,IMHO.
Every human being can be ill,distracted,sleep deprived and not give 100% to what they're doing.
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True also. A couple of months ago I went to my MD, who I do like. However this happened: I was in the room, he sent me for an X-ray that is within the building, medical group. After the X-ray I was back in the exam room. He comes in and says "what can I do for you today" I'm not kidding. I said "I just had the X-ray on my ankle done" He goes "oh that's right, let me go look at it" I was like WTF, I was in that room less than 1/2 hour ago and he didn't remember.
 
Kitties said:
True also. A couple of months ago I went to my MD, who I do like. However this happened: I was in the room, he sent me for an X-ray that is within the building, medical group. After the X-ray I was back in the exam room. He comes in and says "what can I do for you today" I'm not kidding. I said "I just had the X-ray on my ankle done" He goes "oh that's right, let me go look at it" I was like WTF, I was in that room less than 1/2 hour ago and he didn't remember.
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You're lucky he was not operating on you.

I've read news stories about surgeons operating in the wrong place [wrong side, arm, leg, organ, etc.]

There is an older comedy movie with George C Scott, called, "Hospital", about a mysterious someone
who hated the hospital and wanted to get even. So he put hospital employees in different precarious
situations and let the hospital's own ineptness punish them.
 

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