Listed below are the
figures for medical disasters.
| 30% | Incidence of adverse
drug event in hospitalized patients. (Anderson, 1992) |
| 10% | Incidence of psychosis
due to corticosteroid therapy. (Havey, 1984) |
| 7-10% | Incidence of hepatitis
due to blood transfusion. (Stehling, 1986) |
| 6.1% | Incidence of infection
in postoperative orthopedic patients. (Fernandez et al., 1992) |
| 3.76% | Incidence of nosocomial infection in hospitalized patients in the U.S.A. (C.D.C., 1991) |
| 1-2% | Incidence of paralysis
due to neurosurgery of the cervical spine. (Rocha vs. Harris, 1987) |
| 0.7% | Incidence of esophageal perforation during anterior approach cervical spine surgery. (Van Berge Henegouwan et al., 1991) |
| 0.3-0.9% | Incidence of death
due to cervical spine surgery. (Graham, 1989) |
| 0.25-0.75% | Risk considered
remote as a matter of law, according to Washington state
judicial opinion. (Mason vs. Ellsworth, 1970) [Note: The risk of stroke due to chiropractic cervical adjustments is so remote that informing patients is not required, according to California Superior Court judicial opinion. (Joarns vs. Ross, 1993)] |
| 0.057% | Incidence of seizure
due to D.P.T vaccine. (C.D.C., 1994) |
| 0.012% | Incidence of breast
cancer due to mammography. (Bushong, 1984) |
| 0.005-0.015% | Incidence of death
from radiation-induced malignancy due to x-ray exposure of 1
R.A.D. (Bushong, 1984) |
| 0.00025-0.01% | Incidence of death
due to radiocontrast media. (Atkinson & Kaliner) |
| 0.0008-0.001% | Incidence of death
due to allergic reaction to anesthetic agents. (Anderson, 1992) |
| 0.00002-0.00008% | Incidence of death
due to lightning in the U.S.A. (Eriksson & Ornehult, 1998) |
| 0.00001-0.0003% | Incidence of serious neural complications due to cervical manipulation. (Cyriax, 1978, and Gutman, 1983, respectively) |