RESUMO
Objective: To assess the proportion of non urgent patients presenting to the emergency department and to compare urgency evaluation between patients and doctors. Study Design: Descriptive cross sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Emergency department Combined Military Hospital [CMH] Jhelum, from November 2015 to December 2015
Material and Methods: All the patients presenting to the emergency department after working hours between 4-6 pm were documented for 16 consecutive working days. They were assessed as to the urgency of their condition by the doctor. The patients or guardians in case of children were also required to rate the level of urgency of their medical condition. The level of urgency was graded on visual analog scale from 0-10. A 5 and above score was labeled as urgent while a score of less than 5 was considered non urgent
Results: A total of 205 patients reported in 32 hours over 16 days, to the emergency department. Of these 31 [15.12%] were assessed as emergencies by doctors while 49 [24%] were thought to be emergencies by patients. The p-value for this difference was 0.021. The largest group of patients visiting the emergency department was pediatric and they comprised the largest group of non urgent visits to the hospital as well
Conclusion: Actual emergencies comprise a small proportion of visits to emergency departments while the main bulk consists of non urgent visits
RESUMO
[i] To know about the knowledge, attitude and practices of parents of children with febrile convulsions. [ii] To provide adequate information of relationship between fever and febrile convulsions and its usual good prognosis. Descriptive study. It was conducted at Pediatric Department of Madina Teaching Hospital Sargodha Road Faisalabad. Two years period from January 2007-2009. 150 parents and their children with febrile convulsions were included in the study. Diagnosis was made on the basis of a history of a convulsion in the child with a febrile illness. Cases were excluded when there was doubt about the occurrence of convulsions, or if the child previously had convulsions due to any other cause, or if the physical examination or laboratory parameters suggested any other etiology for the convulsions. LP was done in case of first time febrile fits. A pretested questionnaire comprising of 12 questions was used for the study. Data was presented through frequency table. Statistical test of significance was Chi-square test. The data was analyzed with the help of SPSS computer program EQS 10 N. In the study 83 parents [59.3%] could not recognize the convulsion; 127 parents [90.7%] did not carry out any intervention prior to getting the child to the hospital. 109 [77.9%] parents did not know the facts that the convulsion can occur due to fever. For 56 [40%] of the parents every subsequent episode of fever was like a nightmare. Only 21 parents [15%] had thermometer at home and 28 [20%] knew the normal range of body temperature. Correct preventive measures were known to only 41[29.2%]. Parental fear of fever and febrile convulsion is a major problem with negative consequences affecting daily family life. The most common immediate effect of the convulsion on the parents was fear of death and insomnia and fear of brain damage