The 2010 HealthGrades Seventh Annual Patient Safety in American Hospitals Study has been released.  Healthgrades is the leading healthcare ratings organization, providing ratings and profiles of hospitals, nursing homes and physicians to consumers, corporations, health plans and hospitals.

The HealthGrades 7th Annual study on Patient Safety in American Hospitals identifies post-operative respiratory failure as the third most commonly occurring patient safety incident costing $53,000 per incident.

Here are a few key points from this study:  

• In the years 2006-2008, there were 69,078 incidents of post-operative respiratory failure, with an incident rate of 17.52 per 1000 at risk hospitalizations, costing $1.85 billion.

• Post-operative respiratory failure rates worsened by 6.2%.

• Post-operative respiratory failure also has the second highest mortality rate at 21.84%; just below sepsis at 21.92%.

• "Post-operative respiratory failure" - Very Costly Second most costly PSI, just below Decubitus Ulcer (bed sores).  Cosr per incident - $53,000; totaling $1.82 million dollars to healthcare.