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[Clinical safety paediatric patients]

J Requena1, J J Miralles, J Mollar

  • 1Servicio de Medicina Preventiva, Hospital Universitari Sant Joan d'Alacant, Sant Joan d'Alacant, Spain. requena_jua@gva.es

Revista De Calidad Asistencial : Organo De La Sociedad Espanola De Calidad Asistencial
|October 29, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Adverse events in hospitalized children occur at a rate of 3.61%, with medication-related events being most common. Understanding pediatric adverse event epidemiology is key to developing effective prevention strategies.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric healthcare outcomes
  • Patient safety research
  • Clinical epidemiology

Context:

  • Adverse events (AEs) represent a significant concern in pediatric hospitalizations.
  • Understanding the specific epidemiology of AEs in children is crucial for targeted interventions.
  • Previous research has highlighted variations in AE rates across different age groups and healthcare settings.

Purpose:

  • To determine the incidence and types of adverse events in pediatric hospitalizations.
  • To identify preventable adverse events in children.
  • To compare pediatric AE rates with those of non-elderly adults.

Summary:

  • Analysis of three Spanish studies (ENEAS, EAPAS, Aragon) involving retrospective review of pediatric hospital records identified 29 AEs in 24 patients, occurring in 3.61% of hospitalizations.
  • AE rates varied by age: 3.8% in infants, 4.0% in young children, and 2.6% in older children, all lower than the 6.4% rate in non-elderly adults.
  • Medication-related events constituted the most frequent type (37.9%), and 65.5% of identified AEs were deemed preventable.

Impact:

  • Findings underscore the distinct epidemiology of AEs in pediatric populations compared to adults.
  • Knowledge of AE patterns in children can inform the development of specific prevention strategies.
  • Reducing preventable AEs in hospitalized children is essential for improving patient safety and healthcare quality.
Abstract

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