MeSH Browser

MeSH Heading: Medical Errors
Tree Number(s): N02.421.450
Unique ID: D019300
RDF Unique Identifier: http://id.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/D019300
Annotation: coordinate with specific disease or procedure; do not confuse with MALPRACTICE
Scope Note: Errors or mistakes committed by health professionals which result in harm to the patient. They include errors in diagnosis (DIAGNOSTIC ERRORS), errors in the administration of drugs and other medications (MEDICATION ERRORS), errors in the performance of surgical procedures, in the use of other types of therapy, in the use of equipment, and in the interpretation of laboratory findings. Medical errors are differentiated from MALPRACTICE in that the former are regarded as honest mistakes or accidents while the latter is the result of negligence, reprehensible ignorance, or criminal intent.
Entry Version: MED ERR
Entry Term(s): Critical Incidents, Medical; Critical Medical Incidents; Errors, Medical; Errors, Surgical; Medical Error of Commission; Medical Error of Omission; Medical Errors of Commission; Medical Errors of Omission; Medical Mistake; Medical Mistakes; Mistake, Medical; Mistakes, Medical; Never Event; Surgical Error; Surgical Errors; Wrong-Patient Surgery; Wrong-Procedure Errors; Wrong-Site Surgery
See Also: Iatrogenic Disease; Malpractice; Patient Harm
Public MeSH Note: 97
History Note: 97
Date Established: 1997/01/01
Date of Entry: 1996/06/10
Revision Date: 2018/06/29

Allowable Qualifiers: adverse effects (AE)

classification (CL)

economics (EC)

ethics (ES)

history (HI)

legislation & jurisprudence (LJ)

mortality (MO)

nursing (NU)

prevention & control (PC)

psychology (PX)

statistics & numerical data (SN)

trends (TD)

veterinary (VE)

Concept UI: M0028733
Scope Note: Errors or mistakes committed by health professionals which result in harm to the patient. They include errors in diagnosis (DIAGNOSTIC ERRORS), errors in the administration of drugs and other medications (MEDICATION ERRORS), errors in the performance of surgical procedures, in the use of other types of therapy, in the use of equipment, and in the interpretation of laboratory findings. Medical errors are differentiated from MALPRACTICE in that the former are regarded as honest mistakes or accidents while the latter is the result of negligence, reprehensible ignorance, or criminal intent.
Terms: Medical Errors Preferred Term
Term UI T057498
Date01/01/1999
LexicalTag NON
ThesaurusID NLM (1997); Errors, Medical
Term UI T057497
Date12/07/1995
LexicalTag NON
ThesaurusID NLM (1997); Medical Mistake
Term UI T057499
Date05/29/1996
LexicalTag NON
ThesaurusID NLM (1997); Mistake, Medical
Term UI T057500
Date05/29/1996
LexicalTag NON
ThesaurusID NLM (1997); Mistakes, Medical
Term UI T057501
Date05/29/1996
LexicalTag NON
ThesaurusID NLM (1997); Medical Mistakes
Term UI T057502
Date05/29/1996
LexicalTag NON
ThesaurusID NLM (1997)

Medical Errors MeSH Descriptor Data 2025