Between 1995 and 2000, an increasing trend of certain types of events suggested a need for
special attention. These included postoperative medical- and nursing-related adverse events, such
as respiratory failure (31 percent); infection due to medical care (14 percent); decubitus ulcer
(19 percent); septicemia (41 percent); thromboembolism (42 percent); and accidental punctures
and lacerations (7 percent).7