"Bleed Out": Medical Errors and Patient Risk

The HBO documentary Bleed Out highlights how devastating medical errors can be, through the personal story of filmmaker Steve Burrows and his mother Judie. After a routine hip replacement in 2009, Judie suffered massive blood loss and was left with brain damage following a coma — all under the watch of an electronic ICU (eICU). Despite its promise of 24/7 monitoring, the eICU failed to detect her coma for over a day, and no physician was physically present.

Burrows spent a decade investigating what went wrong. He discovered that medical errors are the third leading cause of death in the U.S., as reported by Johns Hopkins researchers. His mother, once an active, independent woman, is now severely disabled, on Medicaid, and receiving hospice care. Her case illustrates how one medical error can lead not only to permanent disability but also financial collapse — a reality many families of incontinence patients might recognize.

This story emphasizes the importance of patient advocacy, especially for vulnerable patients who may be unable to communicate, such as those with mobility issues or incontinence. Burrows encourages people to ask questions, research their healthcare providers, and treat medical decisions with the same seriousness as purchasing a car — because lives, and quality of life, depend on it.

The documentary is a powerful reminder that systems like eICUs are not foolproof, and that accountability and vigilance are essential in healthcare — particularly for patients already managing complex health challenges like urinary incontinence.