Medical Mistakes, When Things are Left Behind

Tools

By KSEE News

Experts estimate the average hospital has between one and three incidents per year where a patient discovers something was left in their body during surgery. The patient can experience lingering pain and not realize the source of the problem until months or years later.

Two Valley residents have filed lawsuits against Fresno's St. Agnes Hospital, claiming medical items or "foreign bodies" were left in them. The hospital told KSEE 24 because the litigation is pending, officials are not allowed to discuss the cases.

A Merced man has also filed a lawsuit. He's suing Merced Mercy Hospital, after he says a foreign body was left in him.

A California-based company, Surgicount claims it can substantially reduce, even eliminate such medical mistakes. Each item used in a surgery has a bar code, and is scanned before and after the surgery. It replaces the manual count many nurses perform after surgeries.

Add a comment

Name:

Comment: 500 Characters Left

KSEE 24 NEWS and its affiliated companies are not responsible for the content of comments posted or for anything arising out of use of the above comments or other interaction among the users. We reserve the right to screen, refuse to post, remove or edit user-generated content at any time and for any or no reason in our absolute and sole discretion without prior notice, although we have no duty to do so or to monitor any Public Forum.

More Good Stuff

This content requires the latest Adobe Flash Player and a browser with JavaScript enabled. Click here for a free download of the latest Adobe Flash Player.
Icon
Current Temp 77.0 °F
Fair
Wind : West at 5.8 MPH (5 KT)
Humidity : 37 %
Pressure : 1015.0 mb
More Weather

On Demand

Stock Quotes

What's On TonightFull Schedule

8:00
Law & Order: Criminal
9:00
Law & Order: Criminal
10:00
Dateline NBC
Local Business Dir