Bed Sores Top List of Indiana’s Most Common Medical Error

The latest state medical error report shows bed sores were the most reported problem against last year, when the number of incidents grew by half.

The Indiana State Department of Health said Wednesday that hospitals and clinics reported 45 stage three or four pressure ulcers, or bed sores, acquired after admission, up from 30 in 2012.

The department says pressure ulcers have been the most reported incident seven of the eight years the report has been compiled and average about 32 incidents per year.

Also reported were 27 incidents of foreign object left in patients after surgery, 18 surgeries performed on the wrong body part and 12 falls resulting in death or serious disability.

The full report can be found on the Health Department website at www.StateHealth.in.gov.