Any Californian who has ever flown probably walked down the jetway hoping, and even expecting the journey would be safe. The same can be said when we visit a doctor for treatment. Some people fear flying, others fear doctors and hospitals. If the airlines and the medical profession held a safety contest, who would win?

If numbers announced by the World Health Organization are any indication, it really is not a contest. Liam Donaldson, patient care envoy with the worldwide health agency, says one in 10 patients worldwide experience some level of medical error during a hospital stay. Moreover, one in every 300 people who is subject to a medical mistake dies because of that error. Meanwhile, Donaldson says a person's chances of dying in plane crash are approximately one in 10 million.

"Infection is a big problem, injuries after falls in hospitals is a big problem and then there are problems that are on a smaller scale but result in preventable deaths. Medication errors are common," Donaldson says. Medical malpractice cases involve claims involving medical negligence.

Donaldson says roughly 1.7 million Americans acquire an infection in the hospital each year. Of those infections, around 100,000 led to the patient's death. In addition, the infection death rate is significantly higher in the United States than in Europe. Of the 4.5 million Europeans who acquire infections in a hospital each year, 37,000 die, strikingly fewer than in this country.

Now, it is important to keep things in perspective. Just as most flights land safely, San Francisco medical malpractice attorneys are aware most medical procedures are performed without incident. But clearly, medical mistakes do occur and may cause harm to innocent people as a result.

Source: Reuters, "Going into hospital far riskier than flying: WHO," Stephanie Nebehay July 21, 2011