title: Collapse in an accident and emergency department.
abstract: Collapse is a common presenting complaint to accident and emergency (A & E) departments. This retrospective study of 4180 new attendances at a district general hospital A & E showed that this accounted for 2.9%. A wide disease spectrum was implicated. This patient group has a high admission rate (47.8%) and a high mortality rate (31.3%). The deaths occurred largely in the elderly and it is suggested that elderly patients should either be admitted for observation, or a careful screening carried out for underlying pathology. The diversity of disease precludes a standard management protocol.
authors.affiliation: Harlow Wood Orthopaedic Hospital, Mansfield, Nottingham, UK.
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: McLaren
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lear
authors.forename: R G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Daniels
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D004630:Emergencies; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013575:Syncope / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality