BMJ 2007;335:1174 (8 December).
News In brief:
One in 10 NHS patients come to harm while in hospital as a result of their clinical care, says a study that reviewed the case notes of a random sample of just over 1000 patients admitted to a large teaching hospital in England in the first six months of 2004.
The commonest problems were:
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unplanned admission or readmission as a result of previous treatment in the hospital,
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followed by injuries, such as falls or pressure sores
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and other complications, including heart attack and deep vein thrombosis (Quality & Safety in Health Care 2007;16:434-9).
