• Walter Mendes, Ana Luiza B Pavão, Monica Martins, Maria de Lourdes de Oliveira Moura, and Claudia Travassos.
• Departamento de Administração e Planejamento em Saúde, Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública Sérgio Arouca, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil. Electronic address: wmendes@ensp.fiocruz.br.
• Rev Assoc Med Bras. 2013 Sep 1; 59 (5): 421-8.

ObjectiveTo analyze the features of preventable adverse events (AEs) in hospitals inpatient in the State of Rio de Janeiro, in Brazil, in order to identify elements that serve as a substrate for priority actions aimed at improving patient safety.MethodsAnalysis of data from a baseline retrospective cohort study to assess the incidence of AEs in a sample of records in three teaching hospitals in the State of Rio de Janeiro to describe the features of preventable AEs.ResultsIn a sample of 1,103 patients, were identified 65 preventable AEs of 56 patients who suffered preventable AEs. The healthcare associated infections (HAI) accounted for 24.6% of preventable AEs; surgical complications and/or anesthetic, 20.0%; damages arising from delay or failure in diagnosis and/or treatment, 18.4%, pressure ulcers, 18.4%; damage from complications of venipuncture, 7.7%; damage due to falls, 6.2%; damage as a result of the use of drugs, 4.6%. The preventable AEs were responsible for additional 373 days of hospital stay.ConclusionThe HAI is the major preventable AEs, as observed in other developing countries. Despite the limitations of the study, the characterization of preventable AEs indicates that known and effective actions available to reduce HAI, such as hand hygiene, to prevent pressure ulcers, to encourage adherence to protocol and clinical guidelines and to create continuing education programs for health professionals, should compose the list of priorities of hospital managers and health professionals involved in the care of hospitalized patients.Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

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