Peer-reviewed article
Patient Safety Events and Additional Hospital Stay and Direct Cost among Pediatric Patients in a Philippine Tertiary Government Hospital.
Garcia EB, Gairanod PJR, Turalde-Mapili MWR, Evangelista-Anislag GF, Huet ALO ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study examined patient safety events among children hospitalized in a Philippine government tertiary hospital over two years. Medication errors were the most common safety problem, occurring in about 62% of incidents, while extravasation injuries (fluid leaking into surrounding tissue) caused the longest additional hospital stays and highest costs. The hospital responded with staff training, improved checking procedures, and better protocols for managing intravenous access. The findings highlight that targeted interventions focused on medication safety and vascular access management could reduce harm to hospitalized children.
Key points
- 55 patient safety events were identified, with medication errors being the most frequent type (61.8%)
- Extravasation injuries resulted in the highest mean additional hospital stay (6.79 days) and highest mean direct cost (₱1,069.49)
- Common corrective actions included reinforced staff training, double-check procedures for medications, and enhanced IV site monitoring protocols
- Falls were identified as another common patient safety event requiring targeted intervention
- The hospital emphasized improved communication and process improvements as key preventative strategies
Limitations
This is a descriptive study of reported safety events at a single hospital in the Philippines, so findings may not generalize to other settings or countries. The study does not evaluate the effectiveness of the corrective actions implemented, so it cannot demonstrate whether these interventions actually reduced future incidents.
Abstract
Background Patient safety events (PSEs) in hospitalized children can lead to increased hospital stays, costs, and mortality. Knowledge of the types and prevalence of PSEs can inform targeted interventions to improve pediatric patient safety. Objectives This study aims to (1) determine the prevalence and types of PSEs among hospitalized pediatric patients in a tertiary government training medical center, (2) determine additional hospital days associated with each PSE type, (3) determine additional direct costs incurred due to each PSE type, (4) compare the additional hospital stay and direct costs, and (5) describe corrective and preventative actions for different PSE types. Methods This is a review of reports of PSEs from five inpatient service areas of the pediatric department of the hospital from April 1, 2022, to June 30, 2024. Data included additional hospital stay and direct costs sourced from the hospital's electronic health records. The number of admissions was obtained from the Department's census. Reported findings include the prevalence of PSEs, mean, median, standard deviation, and interquartile range for additional hospital stay and direct costs. Common corrective actions identified were reinforced staff training, process improvements (double-checking medications, IV site monitoring protocols), and enhanced communication. Results A total of 55 PSEs were identified. Medication errors were the most frequent (61.8%). Corrective and preventative actions included reinforced staff training and double-check procedures. Extravasation injuries had the highest mean additional hospital stay (6.79 days) and the highest mean direct cost (₱1,069.49). Corrective actions and preventive actions focused on improved vascular access management. Conclusion Medication errors, extravasation injuries, and falls are common PSEs requiring targeted interventions within the Department of Pediatrics. Targeted initiatives emphasizing staff training, enhanced protocols, and improved communication are critical to reducing these events and improving pediatric patient safety.