Pressure ulcers, retained objects, wrong-site surgeries and deaths or serious injuries resulting from falls were the most common medical errors reported by Indiana's hospitals and surgery centers in 2012.

The Indiana Medical Error Reporting System final report lists 100 total incidents, 88 reported by the state's 146 hospitals, and 12 reported by its 131 ASCs.

Stage 3 and 4 pressure ulcers were the most common problem for the 6th time in the 7 years the report has been issued, with 30 occurrences, all in hospitals. That number is down from last year's 41 incidents, however.

Hospitals were also responsible for all 19 retained-object incidents. Wrong-site surgery, the 3rd most-common error with 15 incidents, was attributed to hospitals in 13 cases, and to ASCs in the other 2. All 14 cases of death or serious injuries attributed to falls also took place in hospitals.

There were 5 cases in which the wrong surgery was performed, with 3 happening at ASCs. Also listed in the report are 7 deaths or serious disabilities associated with contaminated drugs, all attributed to ASCs, and all apparently related to last fall's nationwide fungal meningitis outbreak, which stemmed from tainted steroids produced by a Massachusetts pharmacy.

The report is based on 28 "serious adverse events" identified by the National Quality Forum.

Jim Burger