Harms from medicines: inevitable, in error or intentional

Error and discrepancy in radiology: inevitable or avoidable?

Errors and discrepancies in radiology practice are uncomfortably common, with an estimated day-to-day rate of 3-5% of studies reported, and much higher rates reported in many targeted studies. Nonetheless, the meaning of the terms "error" and "discrepancy" and the relationship to medical negligence are frequently misunderstood. This review outlines the incidence of such events, the ways they ca...

Medical Malpractice: A Preventable or Inevitable Issue

Judging the benefits and harms of medicines.

How should society judge the safety and efficacy of drugs? This was the question posed by England’s chief medical officer, Sally Davies, in February 2015. Citing controversies about oseltamivir (Tamiflu) and statins, as well as growing disquiet about overmedication by doctors and conflicts of interest among researchers, she feared an erosion of public trust and asked the Academy of Medical Scie...

Inevitable or avoidable?

The prospect of a superbug that could wipe out much of the human race sounds like the stuff of science-fiction novels, Hollywood movies or doomsday prophets. However, such a global pandemic might not be as unlikely as it seems—some would even go so far as to say that it is a certainty, with the only uncertainties being what pathogen will cause it, when it will happen and how well the world will...

Arteriosclerosis: inevitable or self-inflicted?

Over the last 20 years, aortic stiffness has emerged as an important, independent predictor of cardiovascular outcome. Recent data suggest that it may add to existing risk prediction models and improve patient stratification. However, the precise biological pathways and processes underlying aortic stiffening remain unclear. A better understanding of these is an important prerequisite for the ra...