A surgeon can accidentally leave an object inside a patient’s body during surgery. Most times the object is a surgical sponge, which can quickly get infected. This problem doesn’t happen often, but if it does happen it can be extremely dangerous. Many patients become severely ill, disabled, or even die.

This number represents the number of times dangerous objects were left inside patients for every 1,000 people discharged.

An air or gas bubble (air embolism) stops blood from flowing through the body. This serious mistake can happen during surgery or other procedures, like getting an injection. If blood flow is blocked, a patient can suffer a stroke or die.

This number represents the number of times patients had an air or gas bubble in the blood for every 1,000 people discharged.

One common problem that patients face in the hospital is a serious injury or death resulting from a fall or other kind of trauma. Falls can happen when patients who really can’t walk on their own try getting out of bed, often to go to the restroom. Patient falls and injuries increase time in the hospital, require additional care, and can result in permanent disability.

This number represents the number of times patients experienced falls or other types of trauma for every 1,000 people discharged.

Sometimes after surgery, patients can develop serious complications while they are in the hospital. They might catch pneumonia, have a heart attack, or lose function in their kidneys or liver. These problems are serious but can be treated by a good hospital team. If the hospital doesn’t manage the patient’s complications correctly, the patient could die.

This number represents the number of surgical patients that died for every 1,000 people who had a serious treatable complication after surgery.

Patients can experience complications and potentially harmful events following a surgery , a procedure, or childbirth. . When all of these errors are examined together, it gives a better picture of a hospital’s ability to keep its patients safe.

This number represents the number of times patients experienced dangerous safety-related adverse events for every 1,000 people discharged.

A collapsed lung is when air leaks out of the lung and goes into the area between the lungs and the chest wall. It can happen when a doctor or nurse is inserting a catheter, a feeding tube, or even a pacemaker. This kind of lung injury can be serious and can cause severe chest pain and other complications.

This number represents the number of times patients experienced collapsed lungs for every 1,000 people discharged.

Patients in the hospital, especially those who are older or have weaker bones, are at risk of breaking their hip if they fall. Broken hips can delay a patient’s recovery time, require longer hospital stays, and cause depression when patients lose their ability to move.

This number represents the number of times patients experienced hip fractures for every 1,000 people discharged.

If blood vessels become injured during surgery, they may leak excess blood within the body. In some cases, the blood leak will clump up or clot. In other cases, the blood leak is active and ongoing. Both blood clots and internal bleeding can cause significant damage to the body’s organs, potentially leading to organ failure or even death.

This number represents the estimated number of times patients experienced blood leakage during a procedure for every 1,000 people who had surgery.

After major surgery, particularly heart surgery, some patients may experience kidney failure. In serious cases, kidney failure can lead to the need for dialysis, an artificial way of replacing the kidneys’ function. In the most extreme cases, a patient may need a kidney transplant or risk death. Patients who are older or have other pre-existing health problems are at a greater risk of experiencing kidney failure.

This number represents the estimated number of times patients experienced kidney failure for every 1,000 people who had surgery.

After surgery some patients can develop a serious breathing problem. Their lungs either cannot take in enough oxygen or cannot get rid of carbon dioxide. Without immediate care, the patient can lose consciousness, fall into a coma, or even die.

This number represents the number of times patients experienced serious breathing problems for every 1,000 people who had surgery.

A blood clot is a gathering of blood cells in a vein, which can be caused by damage to tissue during surgery. Most blood clots form in the leg but the clot can break away and travel through the bloodstream to other areas of the body. If the clot travels to the lungs and gets stuck, it can prevent oxygen from getting into the blood. This can lead to chest pain, unconsciousness, and even death.

This number represents the number of times patients experienced dangerous blood clots for every 1,000 people who had surgery.

Sepsis is your body’s extreme reaction to an infection. All types of surgeries can put a patient at risk of infection that can lead to sepsis. This could be infection where the skin was cut, or an infection that develops after the surgery, like pneumonia. Sepsis requires immediate treatment or the patient may experience lifelong complications including organ failure. Some patients may die if sepsis is not treated quickly.

This number represents the number of surgical patients that experienced a sepsis infection for every 1,000 people who had surgery.

After a major surgery on the stomach or abdomen area, the healthcare team must be careful to make sure that the surgical stitches don’t break open. This could leave the wound exposed. A surgical wound splitting open is very painful and puts the patient at risk for infection.

This number represents the number of times surgical wounds in the stomach or abdomen area split open for every 1,000 people who had surgery on their abdomen.

For procedures of the abdomen and pelvis, there is a chance that the patient will suffer an accidental cut or tear of their skin or other tissue. This problem can happen during surgery or a procedure where doctors use a tube to look into a patient’s body.

This number represents the number of times patients experienced accidental cuts and tears in the abdominal or pelvic region during a procedure for every 1,000 people discharged.