Diagnostic errors in the intensive care unit: a systematic review of autopsy studies

Abstract

Our data suggest that as many as 40,500 adult patients in an ICU in USA may die with an ICU misdiagnoses annually. Despite this, diagnostic errors receive relatively little attention and research funding. Future studies should seek to prospectively measure the prevalence and impact of diagnostic errors and potential strategies to reduce them.

The Role of Autopsy in Medical Intensive Care Unit: Comparison of Clinical and Postmortem Diagnoses

“…The study conducted by Winters B et al [14] also showed that infections (41%) were most common class I errors, which includes pneumonia and aspergillosis. In our study, commonly missed infections were of tuberculosis and pneumonia.…”

Characteristics of distractions in the intensive care unit: how serious are they and who are at risk?

“…CI: confidence interval recent systematic review of autopsy studies suggested that major misdiagnoses occurred in 6% of ICU deaths and estimated that 40,500 adult patients in the United States may die with an ICU misdiagnosis annually. (18) In conclusion, our study has found a high frequency of distractions in the ICU, and adds new information on the characterisation and risks for major distractions. Distractions frequently lead to interruptions while working, and junior doctors in our study were particularly susceptible to major distractions.…”

Supporting information management in ICU rounding a novel mobile system for managing patient-centered notes and action-items

“…This forces some of the members to update the others through external communication means (e.g., phone). Since not all members are always reachable, the resident will need to communicate the information in a timely manner, thus adding to the existing cognitive load often experienced in the ICU [8]. To address this first problem, we envision a smart system where the resident can notify other clinicians as required, enhancing the ability for everyone to remain mobile.…”

“…In sum, the completion of all the action-items requires an awareness of a patients' condition and other team member's contribution to the plan of action for the day. Equally significant and impactful to a patient's care and recovery is clear and regular communication and collaboration between the critical care team members [3,8,10].…”