Most Ohio residents have heard horror stories related to inexcusable surgical and medical errors. Surgeons operating on the wrong patient or body part, medical tools left inside a patient's body or vital organs thrown out prior to a procedure. These so-called "never events" are named as such because, much like the name suggests, they should never happen.

According to new information recently released by researchers at Johns Hopkins, not only do never events happen, but they occur with far more frequency than previously believed. In fact, based on statistical data, researchers determined that roughly 4,000 never events occur at hospitals across the United States each year.

After reviewing records and reports from hospitals across the U.S., researchers determined that, on average, a foreign object is left inside the body of a patient roughly 39 times per week. Additionally, researchers determined that surgeons operate on the wrong patient an average of 20 times per week and the wrong body part 20 times per week.

Researchers compiled the data related to never events in an attempt to raise awareness of safety problems that persist within hospitals. Researchers hope the information uncovered will help spur hospitals and medical staff to work towards finding solutions to ensure safety protocols are in place to ensure careless and preventable medical errors do not occur.

Patients or family members of patients who have been the subject of a medical never event should seek the advice of a legal professional. Surgical errors including foreign objects being left inside a patient's body or the wrong body part being operated on are inexcusable. Patients who have been injured as a result of a surgical error are entitled to compensation for their pain, injuries and disability.

Source: Infection Control Today, "Johns Hopkins Malpractice Study Reveals 'Never Event' Occur at Least 4,000 Times Annually," Dec. 19, 2012