Study Suggests Surgery Deaths May Be Higher

A new study of death rates from surgery suggests that the number of people who die after a procedure may be higher than first thought.

ABC News reported that a U.K. study that examined more than 46,000 patients across 28 European countries found that 4 percent of them died before leaving the hospital.  The study, published in the Lancet, excluded those who underwent heart surgery.

In the U.K. the study found that the death rate to be 3.6 percent, higher than the previously estimated one percent.  In the U.S., it is estimated that almost 1.14 percent of surgical patients breathe their last before getting discharged from the hospital, according ABC News. But the study now has some medical experts wondering if the current U.S. figure underestimates the number of surgery deaths.

The study also revealed that one important factor affecting the death rate could be that approximately 75 percent of the patients in Europe who died were not admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU).

If you or a loved one has been harmed by medical malpractice, contact Sokolove Law today for a free legal consultation and to find out if a medical malpractice lawyer may be able to help you.

Tags: