Colonoscopy Complications in an Iranian Teaching Hospital

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Medical Safety

Background:

• Colonoscopy is a common procedure with a low incidence of adverse events.
• Limited data exists on colonoscopy complication rates specifically within teaching hospital settings.
• Teaching hospitals play a crucial role in training future gastroenterologists.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the rate of serious adverse events following colonoscopies performed by gastroenterology fellows.
• To assess colonoscopy safety in an academic teaching hospital environment.
• To identify specific types of complications and their frequency.

Main Methods:

• A historical cohort study design was employed.
• Colonoscopy reports were linked with the hospital information system.
• Adverse events were defined as those leading to unplanned hospitalization, interventions, prolonged stay, or death within 30 days.

Main Results:

• A total of 9,928 colonoscopies were analyzed.
• The overall rate of major complications was 0.2% (17 patients).
• Complications included bleeding (7), cardiopulmonary events (5), perforation (4), and sepsis (1).

Conclusions:

• Serious adverse events associated with colonoscopy are infrequent.
• The complication rate in this teaching hospital, performed by fellows, was not elevated compared to general expectations.
• Supervised training in academic centers appears safe for colonoscopy procedures.