Non-urgent patients in an Emergency Medical Service
Revista Medica de Chile, cilt.132, sa.9, ss.1085-1089, 2004 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 132 Sayı: 9
- Basım Tarihi: 2004
- Doi Numarası: 10.4067/s0034-98872004000900009
- Dergi Adı: Revista Medica de Chile
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus
- Sayfa Sayıları: ss.1085-1089
- Anahtar Kelimeler: Emergency Medical Services, Emergency Service, Hospital, First aid, Health care facilities, manpower, and Services
- Sağlık Bilimleri Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Background: Emergency Medical Services (ES) are medical-surgical facilities where extremely ill patients, victims of accidents, intoxications and other urgent clinical situations should be rapidly and efficiently attended. However, a worldwide experience is that a large proportion of patients who require attention in an ES do not qualify as emergencies and they obstruct the possibilities of other patients that should be attended immediately. Aim: To evaluate the medical records in our ES and to assess whether patients understand what is a true emergency and which is the role of an ES. Methods: Patients attended in the ES of Haydarpasa Military Teaching Hospital in 2001-2002 were classified according to their diagnosis. A random sample of patients and relatives were surveyed about why they required medical attention in the ES. Results. 77,134 patients (39,327 female, 51%) were attended. The most common illness diagnosed was upper respiratory tract infection (18,423 patients, 23.9%). The true emergency condition rate in patients presenting to our ES was lower (44%) than the non-emergency condition rate. Conclusions: Improvements in public education are needed to solve this problem. Also, Primary Care facilities should be improved in order to reduce the demand for medical attention in ES by non-urgent patients.