Evitable pediatric mortality
A contribution to planning health care for children
Abstract
Background: evitable death is defined as death caused from diseases or events avoidable by medical intervention or public health measures. Deaths classification based on reducible criteria is a powerful tool to orientate health programs.
Objectives: to determine evitability of deaths occurred at the Pediatric Hospital of the Hospitalarian Centre Pereira Rossell (HP-CHPR) in 2004, 2005, and 2006 in order to orientate health program in the public health sector.
Methods: during 2004, 2005, and 2006 the Audit Committee of Deaths of the HP-CHPR has analyzed and categorize all deaths occurred in that period according to Erika Taucher reducible criteria adjusted to Uruguayan Health Outlines. Deaths were classified as evitable, non-evitable and unknown.
Results: during the mentionned period 279 children died. Evitable deaths represented 56% of the total population (n = 158), 96 were non-evitable deaths and 25 were unknown. For evitable deaths, early treatment and accurate diagnosis could have avoided 78 deaths and health policies, environmental health, sanitary education may have prevented 67.
Discussion: results indicate the failure of the application of preventive measures as well as the need of reinforcing health programs focused to children and may contribute to plan actions.
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