NoBlood

This week a 52 year old lady admitted to the hospital for simple urinary infection is suffering from a terrible mistake.
She was wearing a bracelet indicating she was alergic to bactrim. Unfortunately the medical team neglected to verify the dossier and never noticed the bracelet and went ahead with an injection of proloprim. She suffers extensive burns on 80% of her body and her life is in danger. Transfer to a Québec city hospital was requested by the familly.
This certainly raises concerns about no blood bracelets if they go unnoticed. Is it even safe to let familly get treatment without a POW or proxy or someone present at all times?
Medical errors are not rare or isolate cases in the province of Québec. Do we have statistics concerning other provinces or states?

It would be HOPED that the medical staff would look for alert bracelets or documentation before starting any procedure. It takes little time to see if something is there.

I should imagine that if there was negligence in this matter it would fall to one or perhaps two members of the medical team rather than the whole team depending on how they work.

Personally I not only feel for the lady and her relatives in this matter, but also for those on the medical team who are feeling bad about this incident.

Statistics won't define genuine mistakes or willful disregard, neither could they diminish the usefulness of bracelets as the more protection the better. If anything it may be more useful to track the reliability and practices of those directly involved and take steps from there.

Paul Brisson passed away because of 'Gross negligeance'. His spouse Mrs Augin found out one year later through the autopsy that the patient died because his oxygen tube was inserted in his stomach instead of his lungs! Quebec hospital didn't bother to tell her the truth. Paul Brisson had been hospitalized initially for a kidney stone (everything went wrong and through a series of mistakes he passed away.
Here in Quebec autopsies are very seldom offered to grieving famillies. Actually only 6% of all deaths in unusual circumstances. The directives to limit autopsies in order to reduce possible lawsuits is not beneficial for research.

My response above seems very naive in the light of what you say here, this describes a horrifying medical culture of grotesque negligence.

When politics interfere with health matters the outcome will obviously be negative. In our province healthcare is government operated. Thus if you need urgent surgery you may well be waiting months even if you have the means to pay in the private sector.
Budget cuts are reason to delay much needed surgeries or to keep people on waiting lists. Cut down on autopsies is one aspect. What about Charles Lemoyne hospital in Greenfield park, Qc who refuse to take a patient in need of dialysis hospitalized in Pierre Boucher hospital (may 12th ) and finally accepted through a lot of pressure to Notre Dame hospital on mai 20th. This is what we call in french 'guerre de clochers',
Our health minister Mr Philippe Couillard calculates the waiting lists of patients needing surgery by excuding the ones that are hidden in 'closets'. Not kidding there are 'special rooms that look like closets called 'salles de débordement' specifically intended to hide patients. The hospital hallways are thus cleared of public view of patients waiting in stretchers and the 'statistics' of the waiting lists look better.
Grim view of our health services here. Overworked nurses often neglect to view patient charts....isn't it normal after a 15 hour work shift that a bracelet goes unnoticed or that medical errors happen.
Try to find a familly doctor in Quebec....They are scarce. Specialists are referred by a familly doctor so if you don't have one you don't get access to the other.
When government takes over the mess is evident. Nothing like a user payer system.

Personally I feel that none of the current systems are ideal. A dear friend of mine with a cancer of the spine was receiving treatment based on a medical insurance. (if that's what you mean by the user payer system) During a phase of his treatment his insurance ran out and in no time at all he was catching the bus home - he was dependent on crutches and periodically a wheel chair - this made no difference. Now this was in New York.

He explained this account to me about ten years ago, so things may have changed there I don't know, or possibly it was a one off case of mismanagement - but to me it seems immoral to measure a person's health needs by their finances.

What matters like these show is that health care systems everywhere are struggling to cope.

Quite right everyone should have a right to be treated rich or poor. However the illusion of being treated seems quite worst than being allowed to at least have a chance to obtain treatment. Here unless you are a celebrity or notorious you end up in a hallway hoping to get your turn. Recently the Courts have ruled that one had a right to obtain treatment for monetary compensation. Previously you had no right to do that even if you wished to pay.
Anyone who envies the Governement operated health system should have a look at most Quebec hospitals. Filthy, poorly equipped, underfinanced buildings with empty rooms that are closed although patients crowd the halls. Knee operation can take two years or more. Cataracts well best of luck. Human dignity don't even think of it. Confidential medical information is given to the patient right there in presence of all and everyone passing by. You are lucky if they find a room for you to die with dignity.
Physicians...are precious. If you are the lucky ones with a familly doctor great. You may eventually get treated. Here our surgeons are allowed to operate 0.06% per day. Operating rooms are certainly not used to their full extent. In fact hospitals now offer the operating rooms to 'paying' facilities such as 'plastic surgery'.
Even if we have health care...there is a double standard here too. If you donated to the hospital foundation...we won't see you in a hall otherwise...take a number.
What about the cost. Well here our income taxes are outrageous. 54% plus. GST 6% and PST 7.5% on every thing you purchase. Considering New Hampshire, Florida and many other states it is 18% income tax...this leaves quite a bit of pocket money for medical emergencies.
No regime is perfect...but I would trade any time.