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Surgeon Lisa Marcucci, M.D., says she decided to write a series of practical guides for the medical community about common medical errors simply because “in the past, we have seen the same mistakes over and over.”

These include mistakes even an attending physician could make, such as forgetting to wash his or her hands, which can increase the risk of spreading infections.

“While mistakes occur, we need to be aware of our obligation to reduce their numbers,” said Dr. Marcucci, assistant professor of surgery, Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University. “Unfortunately for patients, every one of these mistakes (in the guides) a healthcare professional has made.”

Dr. Marcucci is the lead author of the eight-book series, the second of which, Avoiding Common ICU (Intensive Care Unit) Errors, has just been released.

The first book focused on errors commonly made by attending physicians, residents, interns, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants when working with surgical patients on the ward, in the operating room or emergency room. Upcoming books in the series will focus on errors in the areas of anesthesiology, obstetrics and the emergency room.

“Despite good effort, there has been no reduction in the number of medical errors in the last eight years,” Dr. Marcucci said.

She also noted that while the book’s language is written in plain terms, it is not intended for a lay audience.

“It’s written for attending physicians, interns, residents, fellows, and nurse practitioners. Patients don’t make medical errors on themselves,” she said.

“This quick reference guide is an invaluable tool for all physicians, nurse practitioners and other medical staff working in an ICU setting,” said Charles J.Yeo, M.D., Samuel D. Gross Professor and Chair of Surgery, Jefferson. “It will help us do a better job of avoiding errors and providing the best care possible.”   

Avoiding Common ICU Errors lists, in no particular order, 318 commonly made errors in intensive care units.

“My editors and I went through the notes I had made over the years to compile the list,” she noted.

Among the tips she gives to ICU personnel are:

• Never take a central venous catheter out of a patient unless they are lying flat so as to avoid causing an air embolism.
• Do not use steroids to treat penetrating spinal cord injuries (SCI) caused by gunshot wounds or stabbings. While steroids have been shown to slightly improve movement function in patients with blunt SCI injuries, studies indicate they do not benefit patients with penetrating SCI injuries.
• Remove kinked or coiled pulmonary artery catheters or a patient may develop thrombosis (clot in a blood vessel) or the more fatal pulmonary infarction (death of lung tissue due to lack of blood supply).

Avoiding Common ICU (Intensive Care Unit) Errors is published by Lippincott Williams and Wilkins and can be purchased at the Jefferson Medical and Health Science Bookstore, located at 1009 Chestnut St., Philadelphia. The book can also be purchased online through the book store’s web site at www.jefferson.edu/bookstoreor through Amazon at www.amazon.com