American health care saves millions of lives through treatment and surgery.
However, when things go wrong the effect can be devastating and expensive.
Each year in the United States
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patients develop an infection at their surgical site1
Each year in the United States
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patients accidentally get cut or have a hole poked in an organ that was not part of the surgery2
Surgery patients are {{getMeasureValue("INF-GRPH-NAT-04", 0)}} times more likely to die
when a surgical mistake happens.
The good news is that doctors, nurses, and hospitals are improving patient safety, especially for surgery.
Many hospitals have very good surgical safety ratings, but others don’t.
Everyone can do better.
Mistakes happen during surgery even in {{report.regionName}}!
In one year3, in our own backyard:
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patients had a surgical tool accidentally left in their body4
{{getMeasureValue("PSI 06", 0)}}%
of surgeries, the surgeon accidentally made a hole in the patient’s lung5
{{getMeasureValue("PSI 15", 0)}}%
of surgeries, an organ that was not part of the surgery was cut or punctured accidentally6
{{getMeasureValue("PSI 14", 0)}}%
of surgeries, the surgical wound on the patient’s stomach or pelvic area split open7
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patients had unexpected reactions to blood transfusions8
All of us need to know how often surgical problems happen and if things are getting better.
Fortunately, doctors and nurses know what should be done before, during and after surgery to prevent problems9.
For example:
Many hospitals take these steps with every surgery patient. But some don’t, and that puts patients at risk.
Tips to Be as Safe as Possible Before, During and After Surgery
Do Your Homework
Talk About Your Safety
Have a Team on Your Side
All hospitals are not the same.
Some are better overall, some are not so good.
Some do well in some areas of care but not in others.
Find hospitals that perform best in the areas you care about.