Patients Are Injured Due to Missed or Delayed Diagnosis Analysis Shows

Studies show that diagnostic errors cause twice as many adverse events as medication errors, but the subject has received little attention; Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority reviews 100 events related to diagnostic error

HARRISBURG, Pa., Sept. 1 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Errors related to missed or delayed diagnosis are frequently a cause of patient injury and therefore an underlying cause of patient safety related events. Autopsy analysis spanning several decades show error rates at four to 50 percent, according to an article released today by the Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority and published in its September Pennsylvania Patient Safety Advisory.

Diagnostic error is a diagnosis that is missed, incorrect, or delayed as detected by a subsequent definitive test or finding. Not all misdiagnosis results in harm and harm may be due to either disease or intervention.

Diagnostic errors are encountered in every specialty and are generally lowest (less than five percent) for certain specialties that rely on visual pattern recognition and interpretation (e.g., radiology, pathology, dermatology). Error rates in specialties that rely more on data gathering and the combination of different elements for a conclusive diagnosis are higher (10 to 15 percent).

"Diagnostic errors are often the first or second leading cause of medical malpractice claims in the United States," Dr. John Clarke, clinical director of the Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority said. "They account for twice as many ongoing and settled claims as medication errors."

READ MORE

Effect of hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis on redox status in chronic renal failure patients: a comparative study

ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of hemodialysis (HD) and periotoneal dialysis (PD) on oxidative stress in chronic renal failure patients (CRF).

Methods: 20 HD patients and 20 PD patients were compared with 20 end stage renal failure patients (CRF).

Results: Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) values were elevated in HD and decreased in PD compared to CRF (P<0.05). TBARS-VLDL and TBARS-HDL2 were decreased in HD and PD, compared to CRF (p<0.05). TBARS-LDL were higher in HD compared to CRF (p<0.05). No significant difference in TBARS- HDL3 values between the three groups. Carbonyls were increased in HD (p<0.05) and PD (p<0.01) compared to CRF. Plasma superoxide dismutase activity (SOD) was decreased in HD compared to CRF and PD (P<0.05). Glutathion peroxidase activity (GSH-Px) was decreased in HD and PD (P<0.005), compared to CRF. Decrease in catalase activity was noted only in PD compared to CRF (P<0.05). An increase in nitric oxide was noted in HD compared to CRF (p<0.05). Albumin concentrations were higher in HD and PD compared to CRF (P<0.001). READ MORE