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In 2014, Dr. Carol Gunn lost her sister to a medical mistake.  Anna’s death was a result of a misdiagnosis of cardiac symptoms.  After Anna’s death, Dr. Gunn began researching and speaking out on medical errors.

Over 240,000 people in the U.S. die each year as a result of medical errors, making medical mistakes the third leading cause of death in the U.S.  Dr. Gunn gave several examples of misdiagnoses and mistakes that had dire consequences.  One man died from a pulmonary embolism after a traumatic brain injury and hemorrhagic stroke.  Nurses had apparently neglected to put compression stockings on his legs.  An eleven-year-old boy received surgery after fracturing his wrist and elbow.  The bones in his arm were set improperly and grew together as he grew older, severely limiting his range of motion.  A middle-aged woman became permanently disabled after she took a drug associated with tendon rupture.

Dr. Gunn is an Internist specializing in occupational and environmental medicine, and industrial hygiene.  She received her MS in Public Health from UC Berkeley and her Ph.D from University of Colorado.  Despite personal loss, Dr. Gunn chose to educate people about the risks associated with health care.  Her TED Talk can be seen at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lu-HcylvuU8