title: Unplanned re-attendance in the accident and emergency department.
abstract: The notes of patients who re-attended the Accident and Emergency Department with a problem for which they had already been seen and treated were reviewed over a five-week period. Such patients comprised 2.5% of total attendances. The commonest reason for re-attendance was persistent pain following an injury and of such patients, about a half required a significant change in management. It was estimated that two-thirds of re-attendances were unavoidable. Twenty patients were admitted following re-attendance, and of these, two had serious medical conditions which were missed on initial presentation. The role of senior Accident and Emergency doctors is discussed in the light of these findings.
authors.affiliation: Department of Accident and Emergency, Glasgow Royal Infirmary.
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Armstrong
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Pennycook
authors.forename: I J
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: Swann
mesh_terms: D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D010359:Patient Readmission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017060:Patient Satisfaction / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011787:Quality of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012606:Scotland; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000628:therapy