Major sources of critical incidents in intensive care

Table 2 Frequency of each category of critical incidents reported in our hospital and those reported in the region

	Percentage of total critical incidents in 2008
Category	RLUH	Region	P value
Administration	26.8%	33.7%	0.183
Equipment	25.7%	20.3%	0.233
Pharmaceuticals	18.8%	17.3%	0.233
Clinical practice	16.8%	16.6%	0.726
Health and safety hazards	11.9%	12.1%	0.964
Total	100%	100%

Mathematical deviations in sums are caused by rounding errors. Chi-square tests were performed on absolute numbers to assess differences between regional and local frequencies of critical incidents. RLUH, Royal Liverpool University Hospital.