ABSTRACT
The increasing incidence of trauma due to road crashes and violence has increased the need for an efficient emergency medical service. This cross-sectional study was based in a surgical emergency care facility in Benghazi city, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya. A representative sample of 391 admissions and 492 deaths was drawn from hospital medical records over a 6-year period [2000-05]. A higher proportion of patients were males among both deaths and admissions. Surgical emergencies for females were less serious and less likely to be fatal. The most vulnerable age for admissions was 25-49 years [37.6%] and for deaths was 60+ years [37.0%]. Noncommunicable diseases were responsible for 50.0% of deaths and 61.6% of admissions; the remainder were classified as injuries. The causes of surgical emergencies not only highlight priority areas for hospital management but also have relevance for community health management