ABSTRACT
This report is based on a retrospective analysis of 14;914 medical emergency patients at Ramathibodi Hospital and Maharaj Hospital, Nakorn Ratchasema during 1985. It was found that : 1. The commonest medical emergencies were gastrointestinal emergencies (22-31%), followed by emergencies of the respiratory system (15-21%), infections (12-17%), cardiovascular system (7-15%) and the nervous system (10-11%). The prevalence rates of the remaining systems were less than 6%, the majority being less than 2%. 2. The commonest medical emergencies in each system were 2.1 Gastrointestinal system : acute abdomen (44-5%), followed by serve diarrhoea and gastrointestinal haemorrhage. 2.2 Respiratory system : severe asthma (35-64%), followed by pneumonia and breathlessness. 2.3 Cardiovascular system : heart failure (38-54%), followed by angina and myocardial infarction, severe hypertension and cardiac arrhythmias. 2.4 Nervous system : stroke (37-47%) followed by encephalitis and meningitis, status epilepticus and severe headache. 2.5 Endocrine system : glycaemic crises (82-87%) 2.6 Haematological system : severe anaemia (64-83%). The differences in prevalence rates of the medical emergencies at Ramathibodi Hospital (Bangkok), Maharaj Hospital (Nakorn Ratchasima) and John Radcliffe Hospital (England) are discussed.