ADVERSE EVENTS IN A SURGICAL INTENSIVE-CARE UNIT - A CAUSE OF INCREASED MORTALITY

The incidence and nature of and the outcome following adverse events w ere studied prospectively in a surgical intensive care unit over a per iod of 1 year. From a total of 657 patients, 229 (34,8%) suffered 369 adverse events. The number of adverse events per patient ranged from 1 (58,1%) to a maximum of 4 (6,1%). The overall mortality rate was 23,4 %. Eighty-seven deaths (20,3%) occurred in patients not suffering an a dverse event and 67 (29,3%) in those whose treatment was complicated b y an adverse event (P < 0,02). There was no significant difference in mortality between patients with single or multiple events. Twenty-two patients died as a direct result of the event, the commonest reason be ing loss of airway control. Adverse events contribute significantly to mortality in critically ill patients.