Defibrillators: On The “Top 10 Health Technology Hazards” List
In a desperate attempt to reach an even number it seems, hospital defibrillators were added to ECRI.org’s “Top 10 Health Technology Hazards” list of devices that threaten to kill or maim patients:
The Top 10 Health Technology Hazards list is updated each year based upon the prevalence and severity of incidents reported to ECRI Institute by healthcare facilities nationwide; information found in the Institute’s medical device problem reporting databases; and the judgment, analysis, and expertise of the organization’s multidisciplinary staff. Many of the items on this year’s list are well-recognized hazards with numerous reported incidents over the years.
If one honestly looks at the number of lives saved versus the number of deaths from defibrillators, I wonder how many of this highly-esteemed group of “multidisciplinary staff” of the ECRI might reconsider. Clearly, most of them have never been in a code situation.
– WesMusings of a cardiologist and cardiac electrophysiologist.
Hat tip: Wall Street Journal Health Blog
*This blog post was originally published at Dr. Wes*
