Abstract

TAMAYO-VELEZ, Marisol  and  QUICENO-VALDES, Luz Marina. Hospital isolation: Predisposing factor affecting the quality healthcare?. Infect. [online]. 2016, vol.20, n.3, pp.151-157. ISSN 0123-9392.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.infect.2015.10.003.

Objective: To determine the association between adverse events, incidents and hospital isolation at the San Vicente Foundation University Hospital. Materials and methods: Prospective cohort study. The exposed study cohort included patientsof any age with contact isolation due to colonisation/infection by multidrug-resistant microorganisms, for at least 2 days in any inpatient hospital department. The unexposed cohort included patients who were not isolated. A total of 402 patients were followed between January, 2012 and April, 2013 (134 exposed and 268 unexposed). They were matched for medical specialty and inpatient hospital department. Some 37 patients were excluded. Results: Adverse events were more frequent in isolated patients (26.8 vs. 25.4%, P= .74), aswere incidents (2.24 vs. 1.49%, P= .89) and quality problems (34.3 vs. 28.7%, P= .25). The number of days with an incomplete recording of vital signs was higher in isolated patients (17.5 vs. 12.1%, P <.000). There was no significant difference in terms of untimely medical evaluation between the groups (52.7 vs. 50.9%, P= .79). Hospital isolation was associated with an incomplete recording of vital signs (RR 1.39, 95%CI: 1.07-1.81), but not with adverse events (RR 1.02, 95% CI: 0.90-1.16), incidents (RR 1.01,95% CI: 0.98-1.04) or quality problems (RR: 1.09, 95% CI: 0.94-1.25). Discussion: Compared with published studies, we found a higher frequency of adverse events, incidents and quality problems in isolated patients, but without statistical significance. Previous studies have shown that contact isolation reduces the frequency of encounters between caregivers and patients. In this study, we only found evidence of incomplete recordings of vital signs in isolated patients.

Keywords : Hospital isolation; Quality of health care; Healthcare quality assurance.

        · abstract in Spanish     · text in Spanish     · Spanish ( pdf )