| Dr. Jai Maharaj 2004-08-12, 2:41 am |
| Forwarded message from rich@math.missouri.edu (Rich Winkel)
[ Subject: Death By Medicine
[ From: rich@math.missouri.edu (Rich Winkel)
[ Date: 11 Aug 2004 14:27:33 -0500
This is an extensive research article on doctors killing their patients.
- - - - -
http://www.nutritioninstituteofamer...ByMedicine1.htm
Death by Medicine - Abstract
Gary Null PhD, Carolyn Dean MD ND, Martin Feldman MD
Debora Rasio MD, Dorothy Smith PhD
October 2003
Note: The information on this website is not a substitute for
diagnosis and treatment by a qualified, licensed professional.
ABSTRACT
A definitive review and close reading of medical peer-review journals,
and government health statistics shows that American medicine
frequently causes more harm than good. The number of people having
in-hospital, adverse drug reactions (ADR) to prescribed medicine
is 2.2 million.1 Dr. Richard Besser, of the CDC, in 1995, said the
number of unnecessary antibiotics prescribed annually for viral
infections was 20 million. Dr. Besser, in 2003, now refers to tens
of millions of unnecessary antibiotics.2, 2a The number of unnecessary
medical and surgical procedures performed annually is 7.5 million.3
The number of people exposed to unnecessary hospitalization annually
is 8.9 million.4 The total number of iatrogenic deaths shown in
the following table is 783,936. It is evident that the American
medical system is the leading cause of death and injury in the
United States. The 2001 heart disease annual death rate is 699,697;
the annual cancer death rate, 553,251.5
TABLES AND FIGURES (see Section on Statistical Tables and Figures,
below, for exposition)
ANNUAL PHYSICAL AND ECONOMIC COST OF MEDICAL INTERVENTION
Condition Deaths Cost Author
Adverse Drug Reactions 106,000 $12 billion Lazarou1 Suh49
Medical error 98,000 $2 billion IOM6
Bedsores 115,000 $55 billion Xakellis7 Barczak8
Infection 88,000 $5 billion Weinstein9 MMWR10
Malnutrition 108,800 -------- Nurses Coalition11
Outpatients 199,000 $77 billion Starfield12 Weingart112
Unnecessary Procedures 37,136 $122 billion HCUP3,13
Surgery-Related 32,000 $9 billion AHRQ85
TOTAL 783,936 $282 billion
We could have an even higher death rate by using Dr. Lucien Leapes
1997 medical and drug error rate of 3 million. 14 Multiplied by the
fatality rate of 14% (that Leape used in 199416 we arrive at an
annual death rate of 420,000 for drug errors and medical errors
combined. If we put this number in place of Lazorous 106,000 drug
errors and the Institute of Medicines (IOM) 98,000 medical errors,
we could add another 216,000 deaths making a total of 999,936 deaths
annually.
Condition Deaths Cost Author
ADR/med error 420,000 $200 billion Leape 199714
TOTAL 999,936
ANNUAL UNNECESSARY MEDICAL EVENTS STATISTICS
Unnecessary Events People Affected Iatrogenic Events
Hospitalization 8.9 million4 1.78 million16
Procedures 7.5 million3 1.3 million40
TOTAL 16.4 million 3.08million
The enumerating of unnecessary medical events is very important in
our analysis. Any medical procedure that is invasive and not necessary
must be considered as part of the larger iatrogenic picture.
Unfortunately, cause and effect go unmonitored. The figures on
unnecessary events represent people (patients) who are thrust into
a dangerous healthcare system. They are helpless victims. Each one
of these 16.4 million lives is being affected in a way that could
have a fatal consequence. Simply entering a hospital could result
in the following:
1. In 16.4 million people, 2.1% chance of a serious adverse
drug reaction,1 (186,000)
2. In 16.4 million people, 5-6% chance of acquiring a nosocomial
infection,9 (489,500)
3. In16.4 million people, 4-36% chance of having an iatrogenic
injury in hospital (medical error and adverse drug reactions),16
(1.78 million)
4. In 16.4 million people, 17% chance of a procedure error,40
(1.3 million)
All the statistics above represent a one-year time span. Imagine
the numbers over a ten-year period. Working with the most conservative
figures from our statistics we project the following 10-year death
rates.
TEN-YEAR DEATH RATES FOR MEDICAL INTERVENTION
Condition 10-Year Deaths Author
Adverse Drug Reaction 1.06 million (1)
Medical error 0.98 million (6)
Bedsoresi 1.15 million (7,8)
Nosocomial Infection 0.88 million (9,10)
Malnutrition 1.09 million (11)
Outpatients 1.99 million (12, 112)
Unnecessary Procedures 371,360 (3,13)
Surgery-related 320,000 (85)
TOTAL 7,841,360 (7.8 million)
Our projected statistic of 7.8 million iatrogenic deaths is more
than all the casualties from wars that America has fought in its
entire history.
Our projected figures for unnecessary medical events occurring over
a 10-year period are also dramatic.
TEN-YEAR STATISTICS FOR UNNECESSARY INTERVENTION
Unnecessary Events 10-year Number Iatrogenic Events
Hospitalization 89 million4 17 million
Procedures 75 million3 15 million
TOTAL 164 million
These projected figures show that a total of 164 million people,
approximately 56% of the population of the United States, have been
treated unnecessarily by the medical industry in other words,
nearly 50,000 people per day. (the USA also has the most expensive
medical system in the world. Is there a connection? -rw)
End of forwarded message from rich@math.missouri.edu (Rich Winkel)
Jai Maharaj
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The terrorist mission of Jesus stated in the Christian bible:
"Think not that I am come to send peace on earth:
I came not so send peace, but a sword.
"For I am come to set a man at variance against his
father, and the daughter against her mother, and the
daughter in law against her mother in law.
"And a man's foes shall be they of his own
household.
- Matthew 10:34-36.
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