Health facts

   (NAPSA)—A report by the Institute of Medicine estimates that as many as 44,000 to 98,000 people die from mistakes in U.S. hospitals each year.

  To protect yourself from such mistakes, speak up if you have questions or concerns, keep a list of all your medicines, make sure you get the results of any test or procedure, and talk with your doctor and health care team about your options if you need hospital care.

  Tell surgeons, anesthesiologists and nurses if you have allergies or have ever had a bad reaction to anesthesia or other medications.

  Every year, the common cold—mankind’s leading ailment—costs millions of dollars from increased absenteeism and reduced productivity in American workplaces.

  According to an online poll conducted by Buckley’s Mixture Cough Medicine, 78 percent of the respondents have called in sick to work with a cold.

  Meanwhile, many of those who do go to work with colds are unable to work at full capacity.