In November 2014, KARE 11 News reported that 100 patients of the University of Minnesota Medical Center Colon and Rectal Clinic had been exposed to unsterilized instruments. This report follows an earlier report that four patients at Abbott Northwestern Hospital had been exposed to unsterilized instruments. Apparently those patients have been notified and will have laboratory testing done to verify whether the they have developed any infections as a result of these events. Hospital-acquired infections already plague our hospital systems, and the failure to properly sterilize instruments used for invasive procedures can only add to the problem. Let's hope that the hospital administration's as
Minnesota has one of the finer healthcare systems in the United States, but it has not been immune from the preventable medical mistakes that plague our nation's hospitals. It is estimated that up to nearly 100,000 persons die each year in U.S. hospitals due to preventable medical mistakes, according to the Institute of Medicine, the health arm of the National Academy of Sciences. Many more patients suffer catastrophic injuries due to preventable medical mistakes, with the highest percentage of those mistakes occuring in emergency rooms, operating rooms, and intensive care units. Among the world's 11 wealthiest countries, the U.S. ranks dead last for efficiency, equity, and outcomes, accordi
