[The current status of patient safety in Argentina: Cross sectional study].

BACKGROUND: Patient safety is a priority for healthcare organizations. For the PRONAP´s 2013 final exam, the Quality & Patient Safety Subcommittee and the PRONAP managers designed a survey to be answered by pediatrician students nationwide. It was destined to evaluate attitudes, practices and safety conditions in which they worked.

AIM: To assess the current state of practices in patient safety.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: Setting and sample: PRONAP students (7,438 pediatrician nationwide) who answered 2013 final exam. Instrument: Patient Safety Survey about pediatric inpatient (9 domains) and outpatient (5 domains) practices, and population data.

RESULTS: Patient Safety Survey: 6424 answered (86%). Population: age: 42% 30-40 years. Women: 80%. Residence in Pediatrics: 83%. Patient safety training: 30%. geographical origin: all provinces and CABA. Inpatient practices: 15% answered their institution had Patient Safety Committee. 74% of institutions did not have event reporting systems, 70% didn´t have a patient´s identification system. 32% answered that drug prescription should be done upon vademecum at their institution, and 27% had infection´s control programs, 28% performed surgical checklist in operating room and 55% had a standardized patient hand-off. Outpatient practices: 62% said they had washbasins, 56% had soap available, and 63% alcohol gel. 70% answered children with a supposed infectious rash did not wait his turn separately.

CONCLUSION: This study shows that most pediatricians in Argentine work without prioritizing patient safety, both in ambulatory and inpatient practice.