Prospective evaluation of complications in an endoscopy unit: use of the A/S/G/E quality care guidelines

In 1989, the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy released a quality assurance monograph in which a procedure review process was outlined. The major elements of the program for quality assurance in gastrointestinal endoscopy included: (1) procedure reports, (2) an endoscopic unit record, and (3) a procedure review. This study was designed to use the procedure review process to determine the incidence of complications, to identify quality assurance issues, and to determine whether audits and/or studies would result from this process. To make a meaningful interpretation as to what constitutes an important complication, a classification to define potential problems was established. Using this classification, a complication was identified in 64 of 3287 procedures (1.9%). These complications were discussed in a monthly morbidity and mortality conference. Additionally, 21 quality assurance issues were identified that led to four studies addressing these quality assurance issues.