Medical errors may be third leading cause of death in the U.S.

By Jen Christensen and Elizabeth Cohen, CNN

Updated 0147 GMT (0947 HKT) May 4, 2016

Without adequate anesthesia during surgery, your brain can stay awake and aware while your muscles stay frozen. It's called anesthesia awareness, and it happens to about one out of every 1,000 patients. When you schedule surgery, ask your surgeon if a local anesthetic could work instead. You may not need to be put to sleep.
Photos: 25 shocking medical mistakes
Waking up during surgery – Without adequate anesthesia during surgery, your brain can stay awake and aware while your muscles stay frozen. It's called anesthesia awareness, and it happens to about one out of every 1,000 patients. When you schedule surgery, ask your surgeon if a local anesthetic could work instead. You may not need to be put to sleep.
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One in five nursing home patients is prone to wandering. A resident at one facility inadvertently locked herself inside a storage closet. She was found four days later and died of dehydration. If your loved ones sometimes wander, consider getting them a global positioning system bracelet that tracks their every move.
Photos: 25 shocking medical mistakes
Lost patients – One in five nursing home patients is prone to wandering. A resident at one facility inadvertently locked herself inside a storage closet. She was found four days later and died of dehydration. If your loved ones sometimes wander, consider getting them a global positioning system bracelet that tracks their every move.
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Babies can look pretty similar. It's not always easy to distinguish one from the other, especially in the hospital when you've seen your baby only once or twice. When a nurse hands you a baby, ask the nurse to match the baby's identification band with yours.
Photos: 25 shocking medical mistakes
Baby switches – Babies can look pretty similar. It's not always easy to distinguish one from the other, especially in the hospital when you've seen your baby only once or twice. When a nurse hands you a baby, ask the nurse to match the baby's identification band with yours.
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Hospitals sometimes confuse people who have similar names. Before every procedure in the hospital, make sure the staff checks your entire name, your date of birth and the bar code on your wrist band.
Photos: 25 shocking medical mistakes
Wrong patient – Hospitals sometimes confuse people who have similar names. Before every procedure in the hospital, make sure the staff checks your entire name, your date of birth and the bar code on your wrist band.
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In the United States, seven patients suffer surgical body part mix-ups every day. Just before surgery, make sure you reaffirm with the nurse and the surgeon the correct body part, and side, of your operation.
Photos: 25 shocking medical mistakes
Wrong body part – In the United States, seven patients suffer surgical body part mix-ups every day. Just before surgery, make sure you reaffirm with the nurse and the surgeon the correct body part, and side, of your operation.
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The Federation of State Medical Boards lists hundreds of people who have masqueraded as doctors in America. <a href="http://www.docinfo.org/#/search/query" target="_blank">Go online</a> and make sure your doctor is a licensed physician in your state.
Photos: 25 shocking medical mistakes
Fake doctors – The Federation of State Medical Boards lists hundreds of people who have masqueraded as doctors in America. Go online and make sure your doctor is a licensed physician in your state.
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Hospitals have been known to discharge patients alone into taxis. One man didn't even know his own address. A lot of people feel woozy when they leave the hospital, so make sure you have a ride home from someone who knows where you live.
Photos: 25 shocking medical mistakes
Dumb discharge – Hospitals have been known to discharge patients alone into taxis. One man didn't even know his own address. A lot of people feel woozy when they leave the hospital, so make sure you have a ride home from someone who knows where you live.
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Nurses are supposed to keep track of how many tools go inside you and make sure the same number come out. Something gets left behind in as many as two out of every 10,000 surgeries. If you have unexpected pain, fever or swelling after surgery, ask if you might have a surgical memento buried within.
Photos: 25 shocking medical mistakes
Surgical souvenirs – Nurses are supposed to keep track of how many tools go inside you and make sure the same number come out. Something gets left behind in as many as two out of every 10,000 surgeries. If you have unexpected pain, fever or swelling after surgery, ask if you might have a surgical memento buried within.
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