An unexpected occurrence involving death or serious physical or psychological injury (for example wrong-site surgery; suicide while admitted in hospital) is known as a

• A. Never events
• B. Sentinel events
• C. Adverse events
• D. Near misses

Answer: (B)

Understanding which events trigger formal investigation in healthcare. A sentinel event is an unexpected occurrence involving death or serious physical or psychological injury, or the risk thereof, that signals the need for immediate investigation and systemic corrective action. In the examples given, events like wrong-site surgery or a suicide while admitted are classic sentinel events because they are not expected to happen under proper care and carry the potential for serious harm, prompting an in-depth review and changes to prevent recurrence. Never events are related and are preventable, but sentinel events cover a broader range and emphasize the required investigative response. Adverse events refer to harm caused by medical care but aren’t necessarily unexpected or involve death or serious injury, and near misses are incidents that could have caused harm but didn’t, so they don’t meet the sentinel-event criteria.