Abstract

LLANOS ZAVALAGA, Fernando et al. Uso de la hospitalización en el Departamento de Medicina del Hospital Nacional Cayetano Heredia . Rev Med Hered [online]. 2001, vol.12, n.3, pp.85-91. ISSN 1018-130X.

Objectives: To determine the inappropriate admissions and days of hospitalization using Appropriateness Evaluation Protocol (AEP) in the Medicine Department at the Hospital Nacional Cayetano Heredia (HNCH). Material and Methods: Descriptive and retrospective cross-sectional study. Medical records of inpatients at the Department of medicine of HNCH during November 1999 and January 2000 were reviewed. AEP was used in order to determine the appropriateness of the admission, 2 randomized days of hospitalization and the day before discharge. Chi square test was used to find association with demographic and inpatient characteristics, assumed p<0.05 as statistically significant. Results: Of the 117 reviewed medical records, 5.98% of the admissions and 27.38% of the days of hospitalization were inappropriate. 48.72% of the days before discharge and 15.98% of the randomized days were inappropriate (p<0.05). Inverse association between admissions by emergency and the inappropriateness of the admission was found. The inappropriate admissions of inpatients < 65 years age group generated greater proportion of inappropriate days. Conclusion: The percentage of the inappropriateness (admission & hospitalization days) at the Department of medicine of HNCH are similar to the lowest reported values of the international literature, in developed countries. We emphasized the importance of medical behavior and faster and better accessibility in the accomplishment of administrative procedures to control the unnecessary prolongation of the hospitalizations, specially in the days previous to discharge. ( Rev Med Hered 2001; 12: 85-91 ).

Keywords : Appropriate use; hospitalization; AEP; days of hospitalization; health services utilization.

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