title: [Utilization of an emergency department by elderly people in a university hospital in Santiago de Chile].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  An increase in visits to Emergency Departments by older adults has been reported, but there are no data available on this in countries in the early phases of demographic and epidemiological transition. This paper describes the characteristics of people over 60 years-old (AM) who visited the Emergency Department of the Hospital Clínico Universitario de la Pontificia Universidad Católica, Chile (SU-PUC), compared to those less than 60 years-old (AJ).
  
  
  METHODS
  Demographic data and reasons for admission and re-admission were collected retrospectively from the SU-PUC monthly statistics report. Obstetrics, paediatrics and «scheduled admissions» were excluded. The frequencies were compared using Chi-squared (significance: P < .05).
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 37,660 visits to the SU-PUC were recorded (81% AJ; 19% AM; with 8% being older than 75 years). No statistical differences were found in the visit time (70% daytime), or by season between the groups. A total of 7,414 (19.6%) of those who visited were hospitalised, with differences being detected between groups (AM: 48.9% vs 12.9% AJ; P < .001), particularly in those over 75 years (59%). The primary cause of admission was cardiopulmonary in AM (22%) and gastrointestinal in AJ (31%). Re-admissions were 10% in AM and 6% in AJ (P < .001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The use of SU by AM and some characteristics of their care process (hospitalisation) are similar to those found in countries in more advanced phases of demographic transition.
authors.affiliation: Programa de Geriatría y Gerontología, Departamento de Medicina Interna, Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: Pedro Paulo
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Marín
authors.forename: Pamela
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chávez
authors.forename: Marcela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carrasco
authors.forename: Homero
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gac
authors.forename: Cristina Alonso
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Bouzón
authors.forename: Leocadio Rodríguez
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Mañas
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D002677:Chile; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult