ADVERSE EVENTS AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS OF PATIENTS AT WA, THE UPPER WEST REGIONAL HOSPITAL OF GHANA

Abstract

Background: Being discharged from the hospital is sometimes associated with complications which may be dangerous to the patient. Adverse events are unintended injuries or complications which may result in death, disability and prolonged hospital stay after discharge or related to the hospital visit. This paper aims at giving an insight into the relationship between patient demographic factors and the incidence, types and severity of adverse events after hospitalization in a secondary hospital in Northern Ghana. Method: A prospective cohort study into the relationship between adverse events and patient demographic factors. This was carried out with patients admitted and discharged from Wa Hospital. A total of 206 patients were recruited from the medical, surgical and emergency wards of the hospital. Findings: Adverse events were found to increase with age. The adverse events at age of less than 20 years was 2.4%, between 31 to 40 was 3.3% , 41 to 50 was 3.8%, 51 to 60 was 7.2% and 61 and above was 7.2%. However, 21 to 30 years age group had 9.2% of adverse events. There were no differences in occurrence of adverse events among sexes and other demographic characteristics of the patient with exception of age groups (p<0.050) which had influence on the type of adverse events. The level of literacy and education did not also influence the occurrences of adverse events. Conclusion: Demographic characteristics of patients might not contribute to the development of adverse events after they are discharged from the hospital. However, the age of patients may influence adverse events development probably because of their weaknesses in old age. Improvement in patients social lives will help to reduce the occurrence of adverse events after patients had been discharged from the hospital.