title: The assessment of adverse events in hospitals in Brazil.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the incidence of adverse events in Brazilian hospitals.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective cohort study based on patient record review.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three teaching hospitals in the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
  
  
  METHODS
  Random sample (1103) of 27 350 adult patients admitted in 2003. Patients under 18 years old, psychiatric patients and patients whose length of stay was less than 24 hr were excluded, and obstetric cases were included.
  
  
  METHODS
  Incidence of patients with adverse events; proportion of preventable adverse events; number of adverse events per 100 patients and incidence density of adverse events per 100 patient-days.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The incidence of patients with adverse events was 7.6% (84 of 1103 patients). The overall proportion of preventable adverse events was 66.7% (56 of 84 patients). The incidence density was 0.8 adverse events per 100 patient-days (103 of 13,563 patient-days). The patient's ward was the most frequent location of adverse events (48.5%). In regard to classification, surgical adverse events were the most frequent ones (35.2%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The incidence of patients with adverse events at the three hospitals was similar to that in international studies. However, the proportion of preventable adverse events was much higher in the Brazilian hospitals.
authors: National School of Public Health, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors: Walter
authors: W
authors: Mendes
authors: Mônica
authors: M
authors: Martins
authors: Suely
authors: S
authors: Rozenfeld
authors: Claudia
authors: C
authors: Travassos
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001938:Brazil; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006739:Hospital Administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019300:Medical Errors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D019984:Quality Indicators, Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult