[Outpatient emergency care in pneumology. A method to alleviate pressure of hospital emergency services].
We analyze the result of using a pneumological rapid-attention facility for diagnosis and immediate treatment of patients with respiratory symptoms arriving at the emergency room of University Hospital Virgen del Rocío in Seville (Spain). In the first six months the outpatient service saw 321 patients (male/female ratio 2.6), most of whom were between 55 and 75 years of age and had never before seen a pneumologist (83.4%). Dyspnea was the most common respiratory symptom named (by 35% of patients), and acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease was the most usual diagnosis (in 19.1%). Only 21 (7%) were admitted to the hospital. We that creating the outpatient unit effectively met a societal need for rapid diagnosis and treatment of patients with respiratory complaints in the area served by our hospital emergency service.
Soto Campos
J G
JG
Servicio de Neumología, Hospital Virgen del Rocío, Sevilla.
Rodríguez Becerra
E
E
Alvarez Gutiérrez
F J
FJ
Valenzuela Mateo
F
F
Peñafiel Colás
M
M
Castillo Gómez
J
J
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001049:Apnea / Q000628:therapy; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000628:therapy*; D008173:Lung Diseases, Obstructive / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010045:Outpatients; D015272:Pulmonary Medicine; D012120:Respiration Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D013030:Spain