Adverse events among patients registered in high acuity areas of the emergency department: A prospective cohort study

Abstract

Introduction. Little is known about patient safety issues in the emergency department (ED). The goal of this study was to determine the proportion of patients with adverse events in high acuity areas of the ED. Methods. This was a prospective cohort study in two Ottawa EDs. All consenting consecutive patients had a telephone interview at 14 days if discharged or chart review if admitted. Three emergency physicians assessed flagged outcomes (such as death, return ED visits) for adverse events. An adverse event was a flagged outcome associated with health care management. Descriptive statistics and multiple logistic regression analysed the adverse events. Results. Over 4 months, 518 patients were enrolled. Seventy-three percent were discharged and 27% admitted. Of 135 flagged outcomes, 43(8.5%) patients had adverse events. None of the variables examined were statistically associated with adverse events. Conclusion. This study suggests that adverse events are important considerations in the ED.