The following are the top 10 sentinel events that occurred in 2015, according to the Joint Commission’s most recent sentinel event data summary:
1. Unintended retention of a foreign body — 116
2. Wrong-patient, wrong-site, wrong-procedure — 111
3. Fall — 95
4. Suicide — 95
5. Dialysis-related event — 76
6. Operative/post-operative complication — 76
7. Other unanticipated event (including asphyxiation, burn, choked on food, drowned or found unresponsive) — 56
8. Unassigned — 54
9. Delay in treatment — 46
10. Perinatal death/injury — 42
In 2014, the most common sentinel event was also unintended retention of a foreign body, followed by fall and suicide. See the full list from 2014 here.
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