title: Why do people go to the A&E?
abstract: Mike Walsh introduces a four-part series on the factors influencing accident and emergency attendance by considering the attendance trends in Bristol Royal Infirmary A&E department in 1988. Important findings include objective evidence of increases in assault injuries associated with excessive alcohol intake at nights and weekends, and a disturbingly high rate of patients who register at A&E but do not wait to be seen by a doctor. The implications of these and other findings will be discussed in future papers in the series.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Walsh
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004739:England; D005260:Female; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010352:Patient Dropouts / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012189:Retrospective Studies