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HOSPITAL DEATHS PREVENTABLE
(November 15, 2004)

We've seen this number before, but it's still staggering. An average of 195,000 patients die annually from preventable hospital errors. This number comes from a recent HealthGrades study and is based on data from 37 million Medicare beneficiaries from all 50 states during a three-year period.

The majority of these preventable hospital errors fall into the category called "failure to rescue." This means mistakes made in diagnosing or treating an illness, occurring after an operation such as: pneumonia; infected bedsores; post op infections; respiratory failure; or pulmonary embolism.

Research by Linda Aiken, PhD, RN, FAAN of the University of Pennsylvania clearly indicates registered nurses with a BSN or higher degree have a higher success rate in identifying these complications early. Thus, their patients have better outcomes.