We might not realize this, but every time we go to the hospital, we put a lot of trust in the hands of doctors. We are confident that these specialists will do their best to help and heal us. However, what we often forget is that they’re still humans who are prone to errors. Sometimes, very detrimental ones that threaten lives and put healthcare institutions in tough situations.
To learn more about this, a trauma surgeon under the nickname trauma.bae on TikTok asked fellow medical workers to share the most shocking hospital mistakes that had harrowing consequences. Our Bored Panda team collected the top answers to her question, which you can see for yourself down below.
While you're scrolling through, don't forget to check out a conversation with the trauma surgeon nicknamed trauma.bae on TikTok, who sparked this discussion and kindly agreed to tell us what inspired her to start it.
#21
I went in to have a brain tumor removed. Surgeon told me 3 days later that he looked at my post-op scans and the tumor is still there. He removed healthy brain tissue next to the tumor. 🤷♀️
31points
In general, she believes such stories shouldn't make people trust medical institutions less.
"While stories of these medical mistakes shouldn’t make people trust institutions less, I’m not surprised if they do. Just remember, healthcare workers dedicate years of our lives training for our jobs, we have difficult and long shifts, and we continue to do it because we care deeply for all of our patients, and we genuinely want to help people."
#22
My grandfather was turned away from an ER because he couldn’t speak and the person in charge thought he was being racist by not speaking. Turns out it was a brain aneurysm.
31points
#23
My sisters OB recorded her blood type incorrectly so she never received her RH shot like she should have, she had to deliver a stillborn. They told her it happened because she was unmarried…
30points
#24
Student nurse gave crushed up PO meds and tap water via central line instead of in the NGT. Her preceptor had stepped away to take a phone call and explicitly told her not to do anything. Patient died
28points
Even though the scope of medical mistakes seems very significant, there’s less than a 0.1% chance that a person will suffer serious harm from misdiagnosis after a health care visit. Therefore, experts advise not to lose faith in the healthcare system, as no one is more knowledgeable than doctors in hospitals to help us with various health concerns.
#25
Our transplant status was revoked because there was a doctor picking and choosing who got organs by falsifying records to make certain people seem like worse candidates.
28points
#26
Our neonatologist refused to do our sons lifesaving surgery and said we should just let him pass away at 3 days old. The surgery worked btw.
28points
#27
I’m allergic to propofol. It’s in my chart. Dr. at Mayo Clinic gave it to me anyways and lied saying I agreed to it although the nurses said I didn’t. I needed 3 epis &was in icu bc of this.
27points
#28
They told my dad he just had sciatica, my dad had a tumor the size of a grapefruit growing on his femur and was diagnosed with multiple myeloma.
26points
#29
Postpartum nurse came to nicu to medicate mom who was doing skin to skin with infant. Pushed iv meds into wrong line and gave it to the baby instead 🙃
23points
#30
Nurse at a major pediatric hospital ran a tube feed into a NICU patient's ET tube. Punishment was her having to talk about the mistake in an educational video about sentinel events and it was made into an EDUCATION MODULE that all nurses at that hospital had to complete.
23points
#31
We “lost” a body. Family was devastated, 2+ weeks.. whole time wanna know where it was?? In the hallways next to the MORGUE… HOW DID EVERYONE MISS IT? Cost the hospital MILLIONS in lawsuit..
23points
#32
Trauma center sent home a deceased pt’s severed arm in a personal belongings bag with family, unbeknownst to the family till they got home 😫
23points
#33
I had routine gallbladder removal surgery, I bled out at home, went into septic shock, hemoglobin was a 5, and went into kidney failure. The surgeon forgot to clip my vessels lol.
22points
#34
Nurse tried to send me home on concussion protocol, refusing a CT, after I got one it was discovered I had 3 brain bleeds and was rushed to ICU
22points
#35
My old anatomy professor at my community college was a former surgeon that had left instruments in his patients… multiple times…
21points
#36
They said my records showed I was HIV+ after I went in concerned I was in prelabor. I was hysterical, 8 months pregnant, confused looking at my hubby and him looking at me! It was an error.
21points
#37
Told us my sister was faking being sick bc she was fat(they literally used the word, she was 11) turns out it was actually cancer that went undiagnosed for another 2 years until it [ended] her
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21points
#38
This one nurse was checking a man’s blood pressure consistently throughout the day. the guy was dead. she didn’t report it. she made up the blood pressures.
20points
#39
My grandma went in for a normal colonoscopy. Died on the table twice because they punctured her small intestines. They were able to get her stable and she’s ok now thank God.
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20points
#40
Doctor attempted a risky procedure to deliver baby. Ended up internally decapitating said baby and another one a month later. The risky move wasn’t even needed he just wanted to try it. Still licensed
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20points
