Impact of SARS on an emergency department in Hong Kong.
OBJECTIVE
To report on the impact of a Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak on the attendances of a major teaching hospital ED.


METHODS
Two periods were studied. The first was prior to the closure of the ED due to SARS and the second was after re-opening of the ED. Data on attendances, discharge against medical advice, triage categories, trauma and ambulance cases were retrieved from the computer and compared with the data in the same periods in 2002.


RESULTS
In the first period, when compared with 2002 there was a significant decrease in the mean daily attendance (397 vs 524), trauma cases (68 vs 111), minor cases (category 4: 283 vs 361, and category 5: 20 vs 43). In the second period, there was a significant decrease in the mean daily attendance (265 vs 545), trauma cases (40 vs 111), minor cases (category 4:181 vs 376, and category 5: 12 vs 45), discharge against medical advice (4 vs 6 daily) and ambulance cases (70 vs 86 daily). Patients requiring immediate care however, remained similar.


CONCLUSIONS
There was a significant drop in the overall ED attendance, trauma cases and minor cases after the outbreak of SARS. Possible causes include changes in community behaviour, resulting in a lower incidence of trauma and disease and fear of presenting to hospital and contracting SARS.
Department of Emergency Medicine, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong. manchiyin@hotmail.com
Chi Yin
CY
Man
Richard S
RS
Yeung
Josephine Y
JY
Chung
Peter A
PA
Cameron
D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006723:Hong Kong / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D045169:Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014218:Triage