title: [Morbidity/mortality reviews: assessment of their implementation in one hospital].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study was to describe the steps involved in establishing a morbidity/mortality review committee (MMRC) to analyze the causes of avoidable deaths or life-threatening complications and the development of plans and protocols to avoid their recurrence.
  
  
  METHODS
  The MMRC included physicians from each hospital department. Each member was responsible for organizing departmental meetings to analyze its avoidable deaths and life-threatening complications.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During its meetings three times a year, the MMRC developed a method for analysis of these serious events. Each department organized 3 (range: 1-12) meetings a year and analyzed 1-3 cases at each. Over 30 months, 35,817 patients were admitted to the hospital and 341 (1%) died. The unexpected mortality rate varied by department and specialty (median: 27%, range: 6-65%). In all, 92 cases were referred to MMRC meetings (27%; range: 6-70% of hospital deaths), and 30% of them involvement nosocomial diseases. Heart disease was the primary cause of unexpected deaths.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The principal improvements involved medical and surgical strategies, surgical techniques, drug prescriptions, and patient monitoring.
authors.affiliation: Département de Pathologie Cardiaque, Institut Mutualiste Montsouris, Paris. fabrice.larrazet@imm.fr
authors.forename: Fabrice
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Larrazet
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Meudec
authors.forename: Lyes
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Knani
authors.forename: Hassen Ben
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: El Kadi
authors.forename: Loïc
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bodard
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Caux
authors.forename: Henri
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: Denis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Debrosse
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Leblanc
authors.forename: Frédéric
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mal
authors.forename: Babak
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mashour
authors.forename: Dominique
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Prapotnich
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Validire
authors.forename: Valérie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Carrat
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003226:Congresses as Topic; D004501:Education, Medical; D005260:Female; D005602:France; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019300:Medical Errors / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009017:Morbidity; D009937:Organizational Objectives