Monday, October 15, 2012
Okay, but how about.....
Lots of attention to the deaths from fungus-infected steroid shots. This is appropriate. CDC is doing a good job in getting the word out to prevent more deaths.
I'm glad to see one form of iatrogenic infection getting media attention. Now how about the others?
Steroid fungus: 15 deaths so far.
MRSA: 18,000 deaths last year.
C. difficile: 14,000 deaths last year.
Total deaths from medical errors and hospital-borne infections: somewhere around 200,000 each year. Way more than car accidents, more than any individual type of cancer.
Nice to have publicity for 15 deaths, but how about 200,000 deaths? Apparently the 200,000 are Okay because they're committed by Big Hospitals, while the 15 are Horrible because they're committed by a Small Compounding Pharmacy.
¶ 4:09 AM 
Steroid fungus: 15 deaths so far.
MRSA: 18,000 deaths last year.
C. difficile: 14,000 deaths last year.
Total deaths from medical errors and hospital-borne infections: somewhere around 200,000 each year. Way more than car accidents, more than any individual type of cancer.
Nice to have publicity for 15 deaths, but how about 200,000 deaths? Apparently the 200,000 are Okay because they're committed by Big Hospitals, while the 15 are Horrible because they're committed by a Small Compounding Pharmacy.
¶ 4:09 AM
