What presents to a rural district emergency department: A case mix

Autor: Gareth D. Meyer, Charles Benjamin Gaunt, Nadishani T. Meyer
Rok vydání: 2020
Předmět:
Male
lcsh:Medicine
South Africa
0302 clinical medicine
Acute care
Medicine
rural health
030212 general & internal medicine
Child
Referral and Consultation
Original Research
lcsh:Public aspects of medicine
030503 health policy & services
Rural health
ICD-10
General Medicine
case mix
Middle Aged
Child
Preschool
Female
Medical emergency
Specialist Emergency Medicine
Emergency Service
Hospital
0305 other medical science
Family Practice
Adult
medicine.medical_specialty
Adolescent
Hospitals
Rural
Context (language use)
Young Adult
03 medical and health sciences
Case mix index
Humans
International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems
rural hospital emergency department
Diagnosis-Related Groups
Aged
Retrospective Studies
business.industry
lcsh:R
Public Health
Environmental and Occupational Health
Infant
lcsh:RA1-1270
Emergency department
Hospitals
District
medicine.disease
Triage
Cross-Sectional Studies
rural medicine
business
Zdroj: African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine
African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine, Vol 12, Iss 1, Pp e1-e6 (2020)
ISSN: 2071-2936
2071-2928
Popis: Background: There is little information available on the range of conditions presenting to generalist run rural district hospital emergency departments (EDs) which are the first point of acute care for many South Africans. Aim: This study aims to assess the range of acute presentations as well as the types of procedures required by patients in a rural district hospital context. Setting: Zithulele is a 147-bed district hospital in rural Eastern Cape. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study assessing all patients presenting to the Zithulele hospital emergency department from 01 October 2015 to 31 December 2015. Data collected included the triage acuity using the South African Triage Scale system, patient demographics, diagnosis, outcome and procedures performed. Diagnoses were coded retrospectively according to the international statistical classification of diseases and related health problems version 10 (ICD 10). Results: Of the 4 002 patients presenting to the ED during the study period, 2% were triaged as emergencies and 45% as non-urgent. The most common diagnostic categories were injuries, infections and respiratory illnesses respectively. Diagnoses from all broad categories of the ICD-10 were represented. 67% of patients required no procedure. Diagnostic procedures ( n = 877) were more prevalent than therapeutic procedures ( n = 377). Only 2.4% of patients were transferred to a referral centre acutely. Conclusion: Patients with conditions from all categories of the ICD-10 present for management at rural district hospitals. Healthcare professionals working in this setting need to independently diagnose and manage a wide range of ED presentations and execute an assortment of procedures.
Databáze: OpenAIRE
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