[Evolution of the adverse effects prevalence related to healthcare in hospitals of the Valencia community].
OBJECTIVE
Improvement of knowledge on patient safety by a study of the number, importance and impact of Adverse Events (AEs), analysing the patient and healthcare characteristics associated with their occurrence.


METHODS
Cross-sectional study of prevalence carried out for one week every year in the years 2005-2008 in hospitals of the Comunidad Valenciana.


RESULTS
AE prevalence in participating hospitals remained constant at around 6 % during the four years of study. The mean age and sex distribution were also constant. The predominant causal factors of AEs were nosocomial infection, procedures and medicines, in that order, although we did observe an increase in AEs due to nosocomial infection during the period of study. With regard to severity, we observed a decrease in the percentage of serious AEs (31.5 % in 2005 vs.17.8 % in 2008), as well as an increase in the proportion of avoidable AEs from 50.8 % to 63.2 % in 2008.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of the study demonstrate the need for a cultural change among professionals that will stimulate the promotion of a proactive culture for patient safety, and allows us to anticipate a social problem of increasing repercussions. Knowledge of EA epidemiology will help in the development of prevention strategies to avoid or to minimise them.
Requena
J
J
Servicio de Medicina Preventiva, Hospital Universitari Sant Joan d'Alacant, Comunidad Valencia, España.
Aranaz
J M
JM
Gea
M T
MT
Limón
R
R
Miralles
J J
JJ
Vitaller
J
J
D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019300:Medical Errors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D013030:Spain