title: [Functioning of a university hospital emergency department].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The emergency department is the part of the hospital where patients with undifferentiated emergencies are triaged and receive their initial resuscitation and treatment. It provides a 24/7 service with doctors and nurses trained in emergency medicine.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We describe our emergency department and its activity to emphasize the difficulties and try to suggest a better emergency department organization.
  
  
  METHODS
  descriptive retrospective study of an emergency department and its activity during the year 2004.
  
  
  RESULTS
  the department has two units: a reception unit with a resuscitation room,a trauma room, an ambulatory emergencies room, and an observation unit. There is an average of 89 patients a day with peaks in july and august, wednesday and Thursday and between 7.00 and 2.00 pm and even between 5.00 and 9.00 pm. 86.6% of patients have medical pathologies, 60% are graded CCMU II and 11% are admitted in the hospital, half of whom in the emergency observation unit with a 28 hours mean stay.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  emergency department organization must be fit to local requirements. Improvement of emergency functioning requires radiological and biological departments reinforcement and medical seniorisation; which may also reduce medical cost.
authors.affiliation: Service des Urgences, hôpital Habib Thameur. 1, rue Ali Ben Ayed, Montfleury, 1008 Tunis, Tunisie.
authors.forename: Nebiha
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Borsal-Falfoul
authors.forename: Monia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rezgui
authors.forename: Mourad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kefi
authors.forename: Imen
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Zaghdoudi
authors.forename: Lotfi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Asta
authors.forename: Zouhair
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Jerbi
mesh_terms: D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014187:Transportation of Patients; D014218:Triage; D014416:Tunisia