Patient safety: notification of incidents in the Intensive Care Unit

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To describe incident reporting in the intensive care unit after implementation of the National Patient Safety Program. METHOD: retrospective, descriptive study of a quantitative approach performed at the intensive care unit of a Private Hospital in the city of Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, in the months of November and December 2016. RESULTS: the incident sample was 210 notifications, which revealed 80% (n = 168) due to medication error. We found 11% (n= 23) notifications for device exteriorization; 4.8% (n = 10) for phlebitis and a total of 4.3% (n= 9) for pressure injury. There were no reports of falls in the study period. CONCLUSION: The survey of incident reports, even if there are underreporting, shows the type of care provided by the organization and the concern with patient safety.