Abstract
BackgroundNot much is known about the results of the severity classification according to the time of visit to the emergency department and the appropriateness of using a public ambulance when visiting the emergency department.MethodsThis descriptive research study retrospectively reviewed and analyzed the medical records of patients who visited the emergency department of the B general hospital in Seoul from January to December 2019.ResultsA total of 54,297 patients were included in the analysis. Of the total, 34,629 (63.8%) patients visited directly while 14,065 (25.9%) visited through public ambulances, and 10,328 (73.4%) of patients using public ambulances were discharged home. The numbers of daytime and nighttime patients were 24,891 (45.8%) and 29,406 (54.2%), respectively. The mean length of emergency department stay (LoS) of patients classified as emergency was 326 minutes, while that of non-emergency patients was 159 minutes. In addition, the mean LoS of patients classified as Korean triage and acuity scale levels 1 and 2 was 427 min and 430 min, respectively, which was longer than the total of 236 minutes.ConclusionWe confirmed that patients who visited the emergency department using public ambulances accounted for about 25% of all emergency department visits, and of which 70% were discharged home. In addition, patients with high severity showed a longer mean LoS, and daytime showed higher severity and more patients than nighttime.
Emergency Department Stay Associated Delirium in Older Patients*
