[Evolution of the emergency consultations in patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection in various levels of medical care in an urban area of Barcelona].
Medical emergencies involving patients with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection comprise an increasing number of the total hospitalary consults and contribute to their overflow. In order to evaluate possible alternative solutions to this problem, we performed a retrospective study of urgent medical consults by HIV patients at three different levels of medical care (primary assistance, extrahospitalary and hospitalary emergencies centers) all included in the same urban area of Barcelona. We demonstrated a growing excess in hospitalary emergencies, with high requirements of complementary explorations and hospitalary admittances. In the extrahospitalary emergency center, we can observe a progressive increasing of emergency consults, but still reasonable in number and adequate to the real possibilities of the center. At primary care level, HIV patients consulted because of less severe reasons. We conclude that a possible solution in order to decrease the assistance requirements in the hospitalary emergencies level could be to try to attend these patients in emergency extrahospitalary centers. These centers should be technically provided and with a close relationship both with the primary assistance care level and with the reference hospital.
Pedrol Clotet
E
E
Servicio de Medicina Interna General, Hospital Clínic, Barcelona.
Fernández-Solá
J
J
Masanés Torán
F
F
Collvinent
B
B
Wenberg
P
P
Teixidó Colet
M
M
Urbano-Márquez
A
A
D000328:Adult; D004630:Emergencies; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013030:Spain
Evolución de las consultas urgentes realizadas por pacientes con infección por virus de la inmunodeficiencia humana en distintos niveles de la atención médica en un área urbana de Barcelona.