title: Audits in real time for safety in critical care: definition and pilot study.
abstract: Adverse events significantly impact upon mortality rates and healthcare costs.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To design a checklist of safety measures based on relevant scientific literature, apply random checklist measures to critically ill patients in real time (safety audits), and determine its utility and feasibility.
  
  
  METHODS
  A list of safety measures based on scientific literature was drawn up by investigators. Subsequently, a group of selected experts evaluated these measures using the Delphi methodology. Audits were carried out on 14 days over a period of one month. Each day, 50% of the measures were randomly selected and measured in 50% of the randomized patients. Utility was assessed by measuring the changes in clinical performance after audits, using the variable improvement proportion related to audits. Feasibility was determined by the successful completion of auditing on each of the days on which audits were attempted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The final verified checklist comprised 37 measures distributed into 10 blocks. The improvement proportion related to audits was reported in 83.78% of the measures. This proportion was over 25% in the following measures: assessment of the alveolar pressure limit, checking of mechanical ventilation alarms, checking of monitor alarms, correct prescription of the daily treatment orders, daily evaluation of the need for catheters, enteral nutrition monitoring, assessment of semi-recumbent position, and checking that patient clinical information is properly organized in the clinical history. Feasibility: rounds were completed on the 14 proposed days.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Audits in real time are a useful and feasible tool for modifying clinical actions and minimizing errors.
authors: Intensive Care Unit, Hospital Universitari Joan XXIII, Institut d'Investigació Sanitària Pere Virgili, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona, Spain. Electronic address: gsirgoluanco@yahoo.es.
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Sirgo Rodríguez
authors: Preventive Medicine Department, Hospital Universitari Joan XXIII, Institut d'Investigació Sanitària Pere Virgili, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona, Spain.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Olona Cabases
authors: Intensive Care Unit, Torrejón University Hospital, Torrejón de Ardoz, Madrid, Spain.
authors: M C
authors: MC
authors: Martin Delgado
authors: Intensive Care Unit, Hospital Universitari Joan XXIII, Institut d'Investigació Sanitària Pere Virgili, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona, Spain.
authors: F
authors: F
authors: Esteban Reboll
authors: Intensive Care Unit, Hospital Universitari Joan XXIII, Institut d'Investigació Sanitària Pere Virgili, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona, Spain.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Pobo Peris
authors: Intensive Care Unit, Hospital Universitari Joan XXIII, Institut d'Investigació Sanitària Pere Virgili, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona, Spain.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Bodí Saera
mesh_terms: D002404:Catheterization; D057189:Checklist; D056902:Clinical Alarms; D003199:Computer Systems; D003422:Critical Care / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D064648:Critical Care Nursing / Q000592:standards; D003697:Delphi Technique; D003953:Diagnosis-Related Groups; D004750:Enteral Nutrition; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D006801:Humans; D008485:Medical Audit; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D059408:Pain Management; D005791:Patient Care / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D056888:Patient Positioning; D061214:Patient Safety; D010865:Pilot Projects
keywords: Auditorías en tiempo real; Critical care; Cuidados intensivos; Real time safety audits; Safety; Seguridad