Medical Mistakes in Utah Hospitals on the Rise

SALT LAKE CITY – Deadly medical mistakes are on the rise at Utah hospitals and surgical centers.

According to the Utah Department of Health, 28 people died last year because of medical mistakes. There were six cases of “major permanent harm” and 55 others with serious consequences for the patient.

In one case, a gastrointestinal tube was inserted in a lung rather than the stomach.

The Salt Lake Tribune reports the 89 total so-called “sentinel events” in 2008 were up from 57 the previous year.

Officials are looking at ways of cutting those down. Doctors are considering using new sponges with microchips to ensure they aren’t left behind in bodies, which can lead to infection.

The Tribune also reports there were 45 surgical errors last year, for example performing the wrong surgery on the wrong body part.

According to the Tribune, the report does not cover all errors, just mistakes that result in an unexpected death or a serious physical or psychological injury. State law requires hospitals to report problems and correction plans, but hospital names are confidential.

E-mail: aadams@ksl.com

Posted in UBI NEWS