Otorhinolaryngology emergency department hospitalizations in a secondary medical center

Abstract

Introduction/Objective. Overall number of emergency department visits, including otorhinolaryngology, has increased. Due to population growth, industry and traffic expansion, workload of the otorhinolaryngology emergency department is steadily on the rise. The objective of this study was to determine most common indications for emergency hospitalization in otorhinolaryngology department in secondary medical center. Also, we examined course of diagnostics and treatment upon admittance, outcome of hospitalization and possible referral to tertiary medical center. Methods. Retrospective study included patients who were urgently hospitalized on the Department of otorhinolaryngology and maxillofacial surgery in Djordje Joanovic General Hospital in Zrenjanin in a two-year period. The data were obtained by processing patients? medical charts. Results. The study included 428 patients who were urgently hospitalized on the Department of otorhinolaryngology of the secondary medical center in two-year period. 245 (57.2%) were male and were 183 (42.8%) female, with average age of 48.5 years. Patients were most frequently hospitalized because of tonsillopharyngitis and its? complications, followed by head and neck trauma. Most of the patients were treated conservatively with medication therapy (72%), and 28% underwent surgical or other invasive intervention. 27 (6.3%) patients were referred to tertiary medical center, which was correlated significantly with number of comorbidities and consultative exams. Conclusion. Otorhinolaryngology inflammatory/infectious diseases are the most frequent indication for urgent hospital admission in secondary medical center. Most of the patients were treated conservatively. Referral to tertiary medical center was significantly correlated to number of comorbidities and consultative exams.