title: Iatrogenic illness in the paediatric intensive care unit at Gharian teaching hospital, Libya.
abstract: The aim of this prospective follow-up study wasto determine the incidence and risk factors of iatrogenic illness and the outcome among cases admitted to the paediatric intensive care unit in ateaching hospital in Libya. The incidence of iatrogenic complications was 22.9% among 423 cases admitted over a 1-year period. Human error (18.4%) followed by machine defects (4.5%) were the most common causes of complications. The overall mortality rate was 7.6% and was significantly higher in iatrogenic cases than others (13.4% versus 5.8%). Paediatric risk of mortality (PRISM) score was a good predictor of risk of iatrogenic illness. Both mortality and occurrence of iatrogenic illness were significantly associated with: higher PRISM score, use of mechanical ventilation, higher bed occupancy rate in the unit, presence of respiratory and neurological diseases, prolonged duration of stay in the intensive care unit and younger age of the child.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community, Environmental and Occupational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University o fBenho, Benho, Egypt.
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Ismail
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Shedeed
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D001509:Bed Occupancy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality; D004868:Equipment Failure / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007049:Iatrogenic Disease / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D015278:Intensive Care Units, Pediatric / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008002:Libya / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D019300:Medical Errors / Q000401:mortality / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index