Key result
Surgical treatment was associated with a higher prevalence of adverse events compared to non-operated patients (15.8% vs 8.7%), representing 2.3 times the risk of developing an adverse event.
Why the study?
Almost half of adverse events in hospitalized patients are related to surgical care, prompting an evaluation of whether surgical treatment itself is an independent risk factor for adverse events.
Does surgical intervention increase the risk of adverse events in patients admitted to surgical departments?
Cross-Sectional (n=3,123)
Yes
Does surgical intervention increase the risk of adverse events in patients admitted to surgical departments?
Effect estimate: 2.3 times the risk
Absolute Event Rate: 15.8% vs 8.7%
Surgical intervention independently increases the risk of adverse events by 2.3 times compared to non-operative management in surgical departments.
Observed higher adverse event rates with surgery warrant cautious interpretation; cross-sectional data leave open causality versus confounding.
(1) Background: Adverse events (AE) affect about 1 in 10 hospitalised patients, and almost half are related to surgical care. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of AE in operated and non-operated patients in surgical departments in order to determine whether surgical treatment is a risk factor for AE. (2) Methods: A cross-sectional design that included 3123 patients of 34 public hospitals in the Community of Madrid determining the prevalence of AEs in operated and non-operated patients in surgical departments. (3) Results: The prevalence of AE in non-operated patients was 8.7% and in those operated was 15.8%. The frequency of AE was higher in emergency surgery (20.6% vs. 12.4%). The 48.3% of AEs led to an increase in hospital stay, and surgery was involved in 92.4% of cases. The most frequent AEs were related to hospital-acquired infection (42.63%), followed by those related to a procedure (37.72%). In the multivariate analysis, being operated on represented 2.3 times the risk of developing an AE. (4) Conclusions: Surgical sites are particularly vulnerable to AE. Surgical intervention alone is a risk factor for AE, and we must continue to work to improve the safety of both patient care and the working environment of surgical professionals.
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Aranaz-Ostáriz et al. (2022) conducted a cross-sectional in Hospitalised patients in surgical departments (n=3,123). Surgical treatment vs. Non-operated patients was evaluated on Adverse events (AE) (2.3 times the risk). Surgical treatment was associated with a higher prevalence of adverse events compared to non-operated patients (15.8% vs 8.7%), representing 2.3 times the risk of developing an adverse event.