Analysis of Arrival Information and Status of the Patients in Emergency Department

Lee, Sam Beom; Do, Byung Soo

Abstract

BACKGROUND: For effective and systematic management of patients in the emergency department (ED), the data on patient arrival and status in DE of Yeungnam University Hospital were evaluated,
MATERIALS AND METHODS
During the seven days form Apr. 1 to. 7 , 1998, the general patient information such as onset time and place, factors associated with transportation. causes of admission, cared department and patient disposition were recorded.
RESULTS
Total of 464 patients visited the ED during the seven days, and the mean number of patients per day was 66.3 Male to female ratio was 1:0.71. Daily staying patients were 17.3 and 83.6 patients were cared totally each day. The methods of transportation and distribution of patients according to region and event were as follows: visit by walk (57.3%), transportation by car(58.0%),place of event in residence(85.3%), regional distribution in Taegu(81.5%), and direct visit(97.4%). Cause of admission due to diseases was 74.6%. The percentages of department which cared the patients were internal medicine 26.6%, pediatrics 16.8%, orthopedics 8.6%, neurology 8.2%, neurosurgery 7.8% and other department including emergency medicine 8.2%, respectively. Patient dispositions were admission 38.4%, discharge 61.0% and death on arrival(DOA) 0.6%, but referred-patient-to -another-hospital was zero.
CONCLUSION
Improvements in several aspects of ED's caring system such as "fast tracking" system and reinforcement of disease and trauma caring system, would be helpful for effective management of emergency patients.