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Hospital performs third wrong-site surgery this year

Credentialing Resource Center Connection, December 6, 2007

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The Rhode Island Department of Health reprimanded Rhode Island Hospital and fined it $50,000 after the third instance of wrong-site surgery this year, according to a November 26 Boston Globe article.
 
On November 23, the chief resident began brain surgery on the wrong side of an 82-year-old patient's head, but the patient sustained no major injuries related to this, the health department told the paper. A similar event occurred in February between a different surgeon and patient; that incident was also free of major injuries. However, in August, another surgeon performed wrong-site brain surgery and the patient died a few weeks later, according to The Boston Globe.

The hospital issued a written statement expressing its goal of avoiding future surgical errors. "We are committed to continuing to evaluate and implement changes to our policies, providing more oversight, giving nursing staff the power to ensure procedures are followed, and other steps," the statement said.

To read the entire Boston Globe article, click here.

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