Healthcare Assignment: Reviewing Medical Errors as Cause of Death

This healthcare assignment explores the increasing mortality rate in the United States due to medical errors, which have become the third leading cause of death. It highlights that approximately 251,000 deaths occur annually due to these errors, surpassing rates in other developed nations. The discrepancy in statistical figures arises from underreporting on death certificates. Common errors include incorrect medication administration, often stemming from abbreviations and look-alike drugs. The essay discusses the tragic case of Emily Jerry, a two-year-old who died from a sodium chloride overdose during chemotherapy, attributing such errors to lack of skills, system defects, poor monitoring, and faulty decision-making. The impact extends to families, increased hospital stays, and higher medical costs. The assignment further acknowledges that workload and nurse-to-patient ratios contribute to errors, emphasizing the need for better education, training, and competency requirements for healthcare professionals. The solution emphasizes the ethical responsibility of healthcare professionals to deliver safe and effective care.

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HEALTHCARE ASSIGNMENT
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Mortality rate on account of medical errors has increased in the United States of
America. Research studies have indicated that on an average, a total of 251,000 deaths occur
in the United States due to medical error. Also, medical error forms the third largest cause of
death within the United States (Makary & Daniel, 2016). As stated by Makary and Daniel
(2016), death due to medical errors is highest within the United States than in any other
developed nation across the globe. According to a research study conducted by the John
Hopkins research institute, it was mentioned that 250,000 people in the U.S die every year on
account of medical error. Other studies estimate the figure to be around 440,000
(Hopkinsmedicine.org, 2019). The primary reason for the discrepancy in the statistical figure
can be accounted for the fact that Physicians, coroners, funeral directors and medical
examiners fail to acknowledge the reason of death as human error or medication error. This
precisely explains why the reason of death is never stated as system failures or medication
error in the death certificates.
Another research study conducted by Hopkinsmedicine.org (2019), suggested that the
approximately 3.6% of the inpatient deaths within the healthcare organization could easily be
prevented. The incidence percentage can be compared equivalent to 26,000 preventable
deaths within the United States (Makary & Daniel, 2016). According to CNBC (2019), the
most common medical errors conducted by the nursing professionals included, incorrect
administration of medication dosage and incorrect estimation of the infusion rate. The
underlying cause for the error could be attributed to the use of medication abbreviations
instead of full forms and confusion while handling ‘Look alike Sound alike’ medication.
According to a news report published by CNBC (2019), a 2 year old baby, Emily Jerry lost
her life due to a medication error. The baby was diagnosed with a massive abdominal tumour
and had to undergo multiple surgeries prior to being declared free from the risk of being
affected with cancer. However, the physician recommended Emily’s parents to continue with

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the last chemotherapy so as to be sure about Emily being free from Cancer. The
chemotherapy was scheduled as a three day treatment process that started on the day of her
second birthday. On the final day of her treatment a pharmacy technician filled up the
intravenous bag with 20 time the recommended dose of Sodium Chloride (CNBC, 2019). The
administration of the overdose subsequently led to an adverse effect and the baby was
declared brain dead. Emily was kept on life support and within three days she had lost her life
because of a fatal medical error.
As stated by CNBC (2019), the major reasons that can be attributed to the cause of
medical error would include lack of skills among the care professionals, an existing defect
within the system, lack of a stringent monitoring system and a faulty decision making system.
In addition to this, technical faults such as computer breakdown, mixing up medications or
doses and surgical complications are reasons that trigger medical error within a health care
organization and often go unnoticed.
The impact of mortality due to medical error directly affects the family members of
the patient. In the case discussed above, Emily’s parents were devastated by the death of their
daughter on her second birthday. It is important to note in this case that medical error does
not always lead to death but increases the tenure of hospital stay and adds to the disease
burden of the patient. It further increases the associated medical expenditure of the patient.
Professional standards and ethics of the nursing profession expect care professionals
to deliver safe and effective care to the patients. The prime responsibility of health care
professionals to act in the best interest of the patient and deliver positive care delivery. In
context of the increasing incidence rate of medical errors, researchers have mentioned that on
account of the excessive work load and the poor nurse to patient ratio prevailing across most
of the healthcare organizations, medical errors are inevitable. It should be acknowledged that

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the work load is tremendous and the due to the lack of an organized work flow, nurses being
human beings might commit errors (Makary & Daniel, 2016). In case of Emily, it was later
revealed that the pharmacy technicians lacked proper education and training and were
responsible for managing all IV medication for the patients within the hospital. Error is
unavoidable if a critical medical process is being managed by an incompetent profession
(Makary & Daniel, 2016). The problem is rather on the rise as most of the states do not have
specific competency requirements that could ensure that only educated and skilled care
professionals are involved in the care process.

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References:
CNBC (2019). The third-leading cause of death in America most doctors don't want you to
know about. [online] CNBC. Available at:
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/02/22/medical-errors-third-leading-cause-of-death-in-
america.html [Accessed 30 Mar. 2019].
Hopkinsmedicine.org (2019). Study Suggests Medical Errors Now Third Leading Cause of
Death in the U.S. - 05/03/2016. [online] Hopkinsmedicine.org. Available at:
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/media/releases/study_suggests_medical_error
s_now_third_leading_cause_of_death_in_the_us [Accessed 30 Mar. 2019].
Makary, M. A., & Daniel, M. (2016). Medical error—the third leading cause of death in the
US. Bmj, 353, i2139.