Subscribe | UPI Odd Newsletter Subscribe Many specialists admit to making errors BOSTON, Aug. 3 (UPI) -- A U.S. survey found 45 percent of ear, nose and throat doctors reported making a medical error over the past six months, with 37 percent causing major injury. Advertisement Otolaryngologists -- who specialize in head and neck surgeries -- from the American Academy of Otolaryngology sent out surveys to fellow colleagues and received 466 responses, finding 210 reported medical errors, with 4 percent of the errors proving fatal. Technical errors during procedure accounted for 19 percent of the mistakes, with medication errors comprising 14 percent, testing errors 10 percent and surgical planning errors another 10 percent. Younger physicians were more likely to make errors than those over age 50, with other errors including equipment malfunctions, wrong-site surgery, drug errors during surgery, and miscommunications. The researchers suspect this 45 percent figure is low, because many doctors may not even be trained to recognize errors or are reluctant to admit they have made mistakes. Advertisement Chinese boo Japanese at Asian Cup TOKYO, Aug. 3 (UPI) -- Chinese spectators jeered at the Japanese anthem, booed Japanese players and fans, and even threw things at them during the Asian Cup games in China. The Kyodo News Service reported many believe the behavior is rooted in feelings of resentment toward Japan for its wartime aggression in China. Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi Tuesday urged the Chinese people not to allow political issues affect the Asian Cup, but Japanese lawmakers want to make an official protest over the booing of the Japanese soccer team. "Political feelings should not be brought into sport events," Koizumi told reporters. "Sport events are festivals of friendship, so I want them to welcome Japanese players and other foreign players." Bravo announces sitcom contest LOS ANGELES, Aug. 3 (UPI) -- The Bravo cable channel has announced a contest designed to develop a new half-hour comedy for television. With "Frasier," "Friends" and "Sex and the City" all gone from the network schedule, the half-hour comedy is not as prominent in prime time as it traditionally has been. Bravo is inviting writers to submit scripts, with five finalists getting pitch meetings with entertainment industry professionals. Advertisement The contest -- titled "Situation: Comedy" -- was developed by "Will & Grace" star Sean Hayes and producing partner Todd Milliner. Emmy-winning producers Arnold Shapiro and Allison Grodner are executive producers, along with Hayes and Milliner. Two finalists will see their scripts developed into 15-minute presentations that will air on Bravo. The winner of a vote by viewers will win a $25,000 cash prize and exclusive representation for one year from Creative Artists Agency, one of Hollywood's top talent agencies. The contest will also be documented in a 10-episode series that will air on Bravo. All submissions must be postmarked by Sept. 18, 2004, to be eligible. U.S. Nuclear guard tests draw fire WASHINGTON, Aug. 3 (UPI) -- A new round of force-on-force security tests at U.S. nuclear facilities has raised controversy for alleged conflicts of interest. The tests, set to begin in November, will involve "hostile forces" trained and employed by the same company that employs many of the guards to be tested. The Wackenhut Corp., which provides guard forces to 30 of the United States' 64 nuclear power plants, has been chosen by an industry group to create two hand-picked, specially trained teams to test nuclear power plant guards' performance across the nation. Advertisement "They're going to be, in essence, testing themselves in a lot of places," Peter Brand of watchdog group Project on Government Oversight told United Press International. "The flipside is that they're going to be testing their competitors." The industry group that selected Wackenhut for the job, the Nuclear Energy Institute, contends Wackenhut is the best-qualified company for the job and has employees uniquely qualified to play hostile forces. "This program has (Nuclear Regulatory Commission) oversight from start to finish," Steve Kerekes, a spokesman for the NEI added.
