Recent mortality rates due to complications of medical and surgical care in the US

Objectives Medical errors and complications pose a major threat to the safety of healthcare systems worldwide. This article was hence aimed at determining the current burden of complications of medical and surgical care in the US.Methods We searched the latest version of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) WONDER online database (years 2018-2022) using ICD-10 codes Y40-Y84 (complications of medical and surgical care).Results The age-adjusted death rate for complications of medical and surgical care increased from 1.17 x 100,000 in 2018 to 1.49 x 100,000 in 2021, but then declined to 0.85 x 100,000 in 2022. The gender-specific analysis showed a similar trend, with the age-adjusted death rate values always being higher in men than in women. A clear age-dependent relationship was also found in the crude mortality rate for complications of medical and surgical care, as higher death rates were observed in older patients.Conclusions This analysis reveals that the burden of complications of medical and surgical care has increased over time, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, but has then considerably declined in 2022. However, root cause analysis and actions are still needed for preventing the still noticeable consequences of medical complications.