The role of iatrogenic disease in admissions to intensive care

Abstract

All patients admitted to a multidisciplinary intensive care unit were studied prospectively to determine how many of their diseases were iatrogenic and, of these, what number were potentially avoidable. Of 325 patients admitted in the course of 1 yr, 41 (12.6%) were hospitalized because of iatrogenic disease. Many of these patients had concomitant serious illnesses. Nevertheless, 19 patients (46.3%) were admitted with iatrogenic disease resulting from therapeutic or technical errors that were potentially avoidable. Iatrogenic disease was fatal in 8 cases, life-threatening in 13 and moderate in 20.