[Costs of serious adverse events in a community teaching hospital, in Mexico]

Serious adverse events during hospital care are a worldwide reality and threaten the safety of the hospitalised patient.

To identify serious adverse events related to healthcare and direct hospital costs in a Teaching Hospital in México.

A study was conducted in a 250-bed Teaching Hospital in San Luis Potosi, Mexico. Data were obtained from the Quality and Patient Safety Department based on 2012 incidents report. Every event was reviewed and analysed by an expert team using the "fish bone" tool. The costs were calculated since the event took place until discharge or death of the patient.

A total of 34 serious adverse events were identified. The average cost was $117,440.89 Mexican pesos (approx. €7,000). The great majority (82.35%) were largely preventable and related to the process of care. Undergraduate medical staff were involved in 58.82%, and 14.7% of patients had suffered adverse events in other hospitals.

Serious adverse events in a Teaching Hospital setting need to be analysed to learn and deploy interventions to prevent and improve patient safety. The direct costs of these events are similar to those reported in developed countries.