[Iatrogenic disease and self-injury: significant factors in hospital admission?].
The frequency of adverse effects caused by doctors may serve as a quality control. We therefore assessed the number of adverse effects leading to a hospital admission and occurring during a six-month period in the medical department of a district hospital. We compared these figures with the number of admissions caused by substance-abuse by the patient himself.


RESULTS
At admission to hospital 35 patients (6.4%) suffered from adverse effects. In 89% of these, the adverse effect was the leading factor to admit the patient; in the remaining 4 patients (11%) the adverse effect was detected by routine-screening upon admission. Further 8.6% developed adverse effects in the hospital which in 12.5% had consequences upon course and duration of the hospitalization. Self-afflicted hospital-admissions (substance-abuse, suicide-attempts) were found in 13%. Iatrogenic adverse effects brought 3.5% of the patients to the hospital.


CONCLUSIONS
Adverse effects caused by diagnostic and therapeutic activities of doctors considerably contribute to hospital-admissions and course of hospital-stay, but even more often the patient himself is responsible by his self-damaging behavior.
Müller
A
A
Medizinische Klinik, Spital Bülach.
Vögelin
H P
HP
Münch
U
U
D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007049:Iatrogenic Disease / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016728:Self-Injurious Behavior / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013557:Switzerland