Medical and Surgical Complications in Three Tertiary Hospitals in the Northeast of Iran: A Multicenter Study

Abstract

Introduction: An adverse event (AE) is defined as an intended condition caused by medical errors or during hospitalization. Evidence in this regard is scarce and outdated. The present study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of medical and surgical AEs in three tertiary hospitals in the northeast of Iran.Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on all the admitted patients to three trauma-specialized hospitals affiliated to Mashhad University of Medical Sciences due to AEs (n=1,121) in 2014. Identification of the AEs was accomplished using the International Classification of Diseases 10.Results: The prevalence of AEs was estimated at 1.2%. The mean age of the patients exposed to AEs was 36.5±19.5 years, and 74% of these cases (n=830) were male. The mean length of hospital stay in these patients was 9.8±12.7 days. The majority of the reported AEs (n=1,020; 91%) were caused by surgical and other medical procedures, such as the abnormal reaction of patients, later complication, and not mentioning the misadventure upon the procedure. The mortality rate among the patients was determined to be 2.4%.Conclusion: Although the rate of postoperative complications was relatively low, more strict academic protocols must be exploited in order to prevent AEs, especially in critical periods, such as summer.