Iatrogenic Related to the Knowledge Deficit of Patient Safety in the Care: A Descriptive Analysis

Abstract

Objective: This study aims to portray the patient’s safety interfaces in intensive care in a Brazilian public health institution and the presence of iatrogenies. Design: This study has an exploratory descriptive approach of qualitative condition; the research was carried out from 2009 to 2010. Setting: The study was carried out in six units, which require intensive care in health, of a large public hospital in the state of Pernambuco. Subject: Of the 163 participants in the qualitative study, thirty-one were nurses, a hundred and ten were nursing technicians and twenty-two were nursing assistants. Measurements and main results: This study also highlights the performance deficit in relation to the protocol used in the diet, that 91 (55.8%) health professionals do not perform intensive therapy in diet administration according to the protocols. Interventions: Updates and training programs are being developed intensively in the hospital with the purpose of promoting the best functional performance of the employee and maintaining the institution's sustainability in the health market. Conclusion: In intensive care in Brazil, it is still emphasized that educating the health professional is fundamental to increase the quality of care to the critical patient and, thus, to reduce the negative indicators of iatrogenies.