WebM&M Cases & Commentaries
WebM&M (Morbidity & Mortality Rounds on the Web) features expert analysis of medical errors reported anonymously by our readers. Spotlight Cases include interactive learning modules available for CME. Commentaries are written by patient safety experts and published monthly. Contribute by Submitting a Case anonymously.
Where's the Feeding Tube?
Norma A. Metheny, RN, PhD; Kathleen L. Meert, MD; September 2008
A boy was receiving enteral feedings while recovering from a traumatic brain injury. The nasojejunal tube migrated to the gastric area, and the patient developed pneumonia, likely due to aspiration.
How Do Providers Recover From Errors?
- Spotlight Case
Colin P. West, MD, PhD; January 2008
An elderly man with COPD and end-stage congestive heart failure was admitted for increasing shortness of breath, due to a pleural effusion. A resident performed a thoracentesis on the wrong side, and the patient developed a pneumothorax and died. The resident disclosed the error but was devastated.
Charcoal Lavage of the Lungs
Robert S. Wigton, MD; October 2003
Misplacement of an NG tube sends charcoal into the lung; the patient dies of complications.