Counting the hidden victims of medicine

Drug side effects and other unintended consequences of medical treatment may be killing and hurting more people than we thought

WHAT is the third leading cause of death in the developed world? Given that cancer and heart disease top the list, you might hazard a guess at diabetes, stroke or car accidents. You'd be wrong. The answer is "iatrogenic" deaths – those caused by medical errors, adverse drug reactions or hospital-acquired infections. [Read more] ...