Evaluaton of the appropriateness for the hospital stay for DRG 209 by means of the AEP (appropriateness evaluation protocol) (Spanish text)

Objective. To know the proportion and the causes of unnecessary days of the hospital stay for the DRG 209; in two public hospitals of a sanitary area reference, applying the AEP, and to describe the existing differences among them.; Design. Observational and transversal study, based on the clinical research of patients histories.; Environment of the study. Two public hospitals of the Sanitary Area of Orense reference, (Santa María Nai y Nuestra Señora del Cristal).; Subjects of the study. A total of 420 processes classified in the DRG 209, discharged patients of the year 1997 in both hospitals.; Results. The average stay was 16,85 days and the global rate of inappropriate stays was 30,1%. In the 70% of the cases the surgical intervention was carried out in the 24 subsequent hours at income. The urgent incomes had greater surgical delay and a more prolonged period of hospitalization than the planned incomes. The inappropriateness was found fundamentally in the pertaining stays at last third of the period of hospitalization.