Joint Commission Updates Sentinel Event Statistics through June 2013

The Joint Commission provides sentinel event statistics in a September 20, 2013, update of its Sentinel Event Data Summary web page. Of the 446 events reported as of June 2013, wrong-patient, wrong-site, or wrong-procedure surgery (60); unintended retention of a foreign body (56); delay in treatment (56); fall (48); and operative or postoperative complication (37) were among the most frequently reported. Of the 7,440 total events reported since the beginning of 2004, 59.6% have resulted in patient death.