The information on this website is not a substitute for diagnosis and treatment by a qualified, licensed professional. During 1999 mainstream institutions revealed that one of the biggest killers in the U.S. is medical mistakes. An alternative to hand-washing would be use of latex gloves.
Hospitals have few incentives to monitor infection rates among their patients.
Various remedies are being considered. Thus medical mistakes qualify as a major public health problem. The report describes two studies that found rates of death due to medical mistakes that far exceed 1 in 500. A second study looked at 1047 patients admitted to two intensive care units and one surgical unit in a large teaching hospital. The problem seems to be getting worse as doctors prescribe more drugs.