3rd Cause of Death in United States: Medical Errors

Researchers at John Hopkins Medicine estimate that more than 250,000 Americans die each year from medical errors.

Each year the Center for Disease Control and Prevention complies a list of the most common leading causes of death in the United States, and this new estimate, places medical errors behind heart disease and cancer, but in front of respiratory disease.

The study was published in the British Medical Journal.

Rankings:

Heart Disease: 614,348

Cancer: 591,699

Medical Error(s): 250,000

Respiratory: 147,101

Accidents (unintentional injuries): 136,053

Stroke (cerebrovascular diseases: 133,103

Alzheimer’s Disease: 93,541

Diabetes: 76,488

Influenza and Pneumonia: 55,227

Nephritis, Nephrotic Syndrome and Nephrosis: 48,146

Intentional Self-Harm (Suicide): 42,773

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/leading-causes-of-death.htm

The Los Angeles Times also has the story