Objective. To investigate whether the liver transplants undertaken at a University Hospital in Ceará are cost-effective. MethOds. The medical records of 62 liver transplant patients operated in 2007 were analyzed from the day of admission for transplantation up to hospital discharge or death in hospital. Indicators were analyzed, including the number of days in hospital and the wards occupied, the quantities of materials and medications employed and supplementary tests and procedures carried out. Results. The majority of this population were male and lived in the Northeast administrative region of Brazil. Mean age was 45 years. The mean cost of liver transplantation was US$ 20,605.01. The most expensive cost item was the fees paid to the professional team involved in organ harvesting and transplantation; followed by daily rates, surgical and inpatient medications; and products (materials and medications) used in organ harvesting. The Brazilian National Health Service (Sistema ùncio de Saúde, SUS) paid the HUWC US$1,322.97 for each organ harvesting, US$ 3,223.56 for professionals' fees and US$ 32,235.68 for the liver transplantation "package" that covers the surgical procedure and the first 7 days in hospital. cOnclusiOns. The figures observed were similar to those described for other Brazilian transplantation centers. Liver transplantation in Ceará is an economically viable procedure on the basis of the rates paid by the SUS.

Despite significant, the increased safety rate reflected the quantitative reduction of errors, with no observed difference in severity between the studied periods. Our results suggest the institutional steps taken could reduce the number of errors, but they were ineffective in reducing the severity of the errors.

No abstract

No abstract