Slashdot Mirror
New Study Finds More Post-Surgery Deaths Globally Than From HIV, Tuberculosis and Malaria Combined (upi.com)
schwit1 shares a report from UPI: About 4.2 million people worldwide die every year within 30 days of surgery -- more than from HIV, tuberculosis and malaria combined, a new study reports. The findings show that 7.7 percent of all deaths worldwide occur within a month of surgery, a rate higher than that from any other cause except ischemic heart disease and stroke. "Although not all postoperative deaths are avoidable, many can be prevented by increasing investment in research, staff training, equipment and better hospital facilities," lead author of the study, Dr. Dmitri Nepogodiev, said in a university news release. Along with finding that 4.2 million people a year die within a month of having surgery, his team discovered that half of those deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries.
"Although not all postoperative deaths are avoidable, many can be prevented by increasing investment in research, staff training, equipment and better hospital facilities," Nepogodiev said in a university news release. "To avoid millions more people dying after surgery, planned expansion of access to surgery must be complemented by investment in to improving the quality of surgery around the world," he noted.
"Although not all postoperative deaths are avoidable, many can be prevented by increasing investment in research, staff training, equipment and better hospital facilities," Nepogodiev said in a university news release. "To avoid millions more people dying after surgery, planned expansion of access to surgery must be complemented by investment in to improving the quality of surgery around the world," he noted.
100% of people die within a few days of drinking water.
I suspect that increasing investment in research, staff training, equipment and better hospital facilities aren't really going to have that much impact because usually when you need surgery, you are pretty fucked up already.
This is nothing more than shilling for more cash.
"half of those deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries"
Which strongly suggests that half of them die in high income countries. Countries which typically have a smaller population. Which suggests that a larger proportion of high income people are dying after their surgery.
Hey, I'm talking about US, people! Tech workers, managers, skilled mathematicians and undertakers and other people who help maintain our countries' high incomes. Are we gonna stand for this death rate? We need to protest! Or move to a low-income country where surgery is safer.
...omphaloskepsis often...
The sumary says "half of those deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries"
Doesn't that mean half of those happen in rich countries? Why are they trying to shame low and middle income countries when the rate in rich countries is so high?
In time, you may change your tune a bit once you personally know someone who goes into surgery and never wakes up.
Especially something ridiculously simple and / or routine.
No words can explain how you feel when you meet the Doctor and are expecting to hear one thing ( we're done, they're doing fine, etc. )
only to find out they coded on the table and the surgical team spent the last half hour trying to revive them to no avail.
The truly frustrating part is not knowing why.
Body just give up ? Medical / Anesthesia error ? Reaction to one of the meds ?
It's one of those things that will haunt you forever.
Reminds me of a quote supposedly given by Willie Sutton, a notorious bank robber. When asked why he robbed banks, he replied "because that's where the money is."
Why do people die in hospitals? Because that's where sick people go. Why do people die after surgery? Because one, surgery carries a certain risk. Two, if they are doing surgery on you, there's probably something wrong with you to begin with.
There are absolutely problems with secondary infections, surgical errors, unnecessary surgeries and the like. but a single statistic doesn't say anything about those things.
My Other Computer Is A Data General Nova III.
I don't agree.
I had a major surgery, planned a couple of months in advance. I was in a good condition, but if I didn't have the surgery, then it would have led to a serious condition later on. I was not "pretty fucked up".
One week after being released from hospital, I went back to the hospital's ER, due to pain and fluid leaking from the closed incision. The doctor on duty gave me a prescription for strong pain killers and sent me away.
3 days later, I was back in the same ER. A more experienced doctor knew what was wrong, and proceeded to pump out of me over a pint of smelly fluid. He also contacted one of the surgical team, who ordered tests and a CAT scan. I was admitted back into the hospital and given a course of the strongest antibiotics they had via IV. If I hadn't gone back in to the ER when I did, there was a good change I would have died.
The surgeon told me that when I first visited the ER, they should have contacted her and let her examine me. This appeared to be a standard procedure but the working doctor was not aware of this.
In my case, better training would have prevented an almost fatal outcome.
"The best part? I became an ordained minister while not wearing pants." -- CleverNickName