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.

Descriptor ID	D019300
MeSH Number(s)	N02.421.450
Concept/Terms	Medical Errors Medical Errors Medical Mistakes Mistake, Medical Mistakes, Medical Errors, Medical Error, Medical Medical Error Medical Mistake Wrong-Procedure Errors Wrong-Procedure Errors Error, Wrong-Procedure Errors, Wrong-Procedure Wrong Procedure Errors Wrong-Procedure Error Medical Errors of Omission Medical Errors of Omission Omission Medical Error Omission Medical Errors Medical Error of Omission Wrong-Site Surgery Wrong-Site Surgery Surgeries, Wrong-Site Surgery, Wrong-Site Wrong Site Surgery Wrong-Site Surgeries Surgical Errors Surgical Errors Errors, Surgical Error, Surgical Surgical Error Critical Medical Incidents Critical Medical Incidents Critical Medical Incident Incident, Critical Medical Incidents, Critical Medical Medical Incident, Critical Medical Incidents, Critical Critical Incidents, Medical Critical Incident, Medical Incident, Medical Critical Incidents, Medical Critical Medical Critical Incident Medical Critical Incidents Wrong-Patient Surgery Wrong-Patient Surgery Surgeries, Wrong-Patient Surgery, Wrong-Patient Wrong Patient Surgery Wrong-Patient Surgeries Never Event Never Event Event, Never Events, Never Never Events Medical Errors of Commission Medical Errors of Commission Medical Error of Commission Commission Medical Error Commission Medical Errors

Below are MeSH descriptors whose meaning is more general than "Medical Errors".

Below are MeSH descriptors whose meaning is related to "Medical Errors".

Below are MeSH descriptors whose meaning is more specific than "Medical Errors".