[How to identify adverse events in emergency services? A guide agreed for the screening].
OBJECTIVE
Since a third of adverse events (AE) occur outside hospital, the Emergency Services are a suitable place to look at their incidence. We considered designing a screening guide, adapted to the conditions of the emergency services, to identify AE.


METHODS
A qualitative technique was applied (nominal group) in which 14 professionals participated. They analysed which factors of intrinsic risk, extrinsic risk, and alert conditions, were suitable for a screening guide of AE in emergency services. The session was chaired by a specialist in these types of techniques.


RESULTS
Consensus was high in that the most frequent AE in emergencies were those related to medicines, diagnostic tests and with the correct identification of the reason for emergency. With respect to screening guide, the group proposed adding alcohol abuse, patient social problems, cognitive deterioration, basal autonomy and disability. In relation to extrinsic risk factors, they pointed to the need of including defibrillation, spinal tap or drainage implantation. With respect to the alert conditions form, the professionals agreed in that all the criteria seemed correct and suitable, except for that related to damage relation childbirth or amniocentesis.


CONCLUSIONS
By using this technique we have managed to validate materials already recognized, and widely used in our country. The screening guide was considered useful, with slight modifications in some risk factors and alert conditions. The professionals agreed that the MRF2 modular questionnaire is appropriate for the characterisation of AE in emergencies.
Requena
J
J
Servicio de Medicina Preventiva, Departamento de Salud Pública, Historia de la Ciencia y Ginecología, Hospital Universitari Sant Joan d'Alacant, Universidad Miguel Hernández d'Elx, Elche, España. requena_jua@gva.es
Aranaz
J M
JM
Mira
J J
JJ
Gea
M T
MT
Miralles
J J
JJ
Limón
R
R
Rey
M
M
Carrasco
M
M
Lerma
M
M
López
J
J
García
S
S
Gómez
N
N
Puy
A I
AI
Bartolomé
F
F
Pardo
S
S
Ziadi
M
M
Tomas
O
O
Guilabert
M
M
D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D019300:Medical Errors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic