Journal of Clinical and Experimental Investigations

Abstract

Objective: Emergency departments are the first places to which patients present with unexpected or unforeseen health problems. The purpose of this study was to assess the urgency of cases brought by ambulance to the Hospital on the basis of a three-level triage system.
Methods: This study was performed between 01.06.2013 and 31.09.2013 at the Diyarbakır Education and Research Hospital. Our emergency service unit is a third degree service for all adult patient groups and all child trauma types. Triage of patients brought to the emergency department by ambulance was performed by emergency medicine specialists. Patients’ vital findings, identity data and triage categories were assessed.
Results: 712 patients were included, 382 (53.7%) male and 330 (46.3%) female, with a mean age of 45. In this study, 619 (86.9%) patients were transferred from the scene and 93 (13.1) between hospitals, 483 (67.8%) patients were brought by emergency medicine technician (EMT) teams, 107 (15%) by physician-led teams, 107 (15) by paramedic teams and 15 (2.1%) by other teams, 442 (62.1%) patients were assessed as yellow, 141 (19.8%) as green and 129 (19.1%) as red zone. Five hundred eighty (81.5%) patients were discharged and 115 (15.9%) were hospitalized.
Conclusion: Emergency health services are clearly developing rapidly in Turkey. In order for pre-hospital emergency health services not to be abused, we think that these services should be up to the standards of those in developed countries and that public awareness needs to be increased, particularly with regard to triage.