The Daily Observer London Desk: Reporter- John Furner
Dangerous medical blunders resulting in death or serious injury more than tripled in Maryland hospitals between 2019 and 2022.
A report from the state shows there were 832 adverse events from October 1 2021 to September 30 2022, which was also the highest since records began in 2004.
Of last year’s incidents, 769 were classified as the most severe, or Level 1 events, defined as adverse incidents that result in death or serious disability.
In one case, a patient went in for surgery on one of his legs and ended up having his other amputated due to a serious medical complication.
In another instance in 2021, three people died after a maintenance worker inadvertently shut off an unlabeled oxygen line.
Another blunder saw a premature infant with a low birth weight given the incorrect dose of steroids for nearly two weeks.
The above graph shows the number of reported adverse events in Maryland hospitals from 2004 to 2022
The above chart shows the comparison between 2021 and 2022 of different types of adverse events in Maryland hospitals
The above chart shows the number of different types of adverse events in Maryland hospitals in the fiscal year 2022
The overall events in 2022 were a 52 percent increase from 2021, and the highest the state has ever recorded since it began compiling data in 2004.
The report, which partially blamed dwindling staff and supply shortages during the Covid-19 pandemic for the increase in adverse events, included outcomes from 62 hospitals throughout the state of Maryland, but did not state what hospitals which events occurred in.
The Leapfrog Group, a private organization that evaluates hospital safety metrics, ranked Maryland 35th for patient safety and only gives nine hospitals in the state its highest safety rating of Level A.
Of the adverse events, pressure injuries, falls, delays in treatment and surgical events accounted for 80 percent. Intrahospital physical and sexual assaults increased by 75 percent in 2022.
Based on the findings, the authors of the report stressed hospitals should prioritize safety and optimize processes to prevent system failures that could lead to serious errors.
As part of the report, authors highlighted several adverse events it observed and provided ‘lessons learned’ to guide hospital staff in preventing future similar outcomes.
Pressure injuries, or pressure ulcers and bed sores, saw the biggest increase, approximately doubling from 184 in 2021 to 375 in 2022.
These are injuries to the skin and soft tissue resulting from constant or prolonged pressure to the skin, such as when a patient is lying in a hospital bed for an extended period of time without moving.
Falls were the second most common adverse events and saw a slight increase from 136 to 148.
In one fall event, a patient fell in her room and hit her head, suffering a subdural hematoma, or bleeding in her brain. After developing symptoms like nausea and a headache, tests revealed the patient’s condition, forcing her to be transferred to another facility and undergo brain surgery.
