[Registration of postoperative complications to improve the results of surgery].

OBJECTIVE

To analyse the consequences of postoperative complications in 1418 surgical patients.

DESIGN

Prospective descriptive study.

SETTING

St. Elisabeth Hospital in Tilburg, The Netherlands.

METHOD

In the period 1986-1992 all postoperative complications and their consequences occurring during or after the clinical treatment of surgical patients were registered.

RESULTS

In 5% of the 28,485 surgical procedures (= 1418 patients) postoperative complications were found. To treat these complications, 577 patients had to be reoperated on, 233 patients several times, and generally because of postoperative infections. Readmission after discharge was necessary in 310 patients for treatment of their complications. Mean hospital stay for all patients was 10 days, as against 21 days in patients with postoperative complications. On the basis of the figures recorded, quality enhancing measures were taken, e.g. regarding antibiotic prophylaxis and wound treatment.

CONCLUSION

The consequences of postoperative complications are considerable. With respect to quality control in health care it is important to develop national registration and documentation of surgical complications.