title: Characteristics, diagnosis and outcome of patients referred to a specialized neurology emergency clinic: prospective observational study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Organization and management of neurological emergencies differs among hospitals. Some have specialized neurological emergency rooms (ER).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to determine the characteristics, diagnosis and outcome of patients referred to a specialized emergency neurology clinic.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective, observational study of consecutive patients presenting between March 2014 and July 2014.
  
  
  METHODS
  Neurologicaler of a training and research neuropsychiatric hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients older than 16 years of age with a neurological complaint were assessed by neurological exam, laboratory and imaging tests including brain computed tomography (CT), brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), cerebrospinal fluid analysis, electroencephalography or electromyography.
  
  
  METHODS
  Types of diagnosis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 4500 patients, 2602 (57.8%) were female, and the mean age was 49.2 (23.6) years. The most common symptom was headache, which presented in 30.8% of all patients. The three most common diagnoses after emergency work-up were headache (27.8%), stroke (20.6%) and peripheral vertigo (13%). In the ER, CT was performed on 65.5% of patients and MRI on 66.9%. After emergency work-up, 72.2% patients were discharged home.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Neurological diseases are common, with headache and cerebrovascular diseases being the most frequent diagnosis in this specialized ER. CT and MRI are most often used to diagnose or exclude neurological diseases. Many patients do not require immediate hospitalization. The two most frequent diagnoses for hospitalization were stroke and demyelinating disease.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Absence of follow up data on patients discharged home.
authors.affiliation: Mrs. Eda Coban, Bakirkoy Education and Training Hospital of Neurology,, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry,, Istanbul, Turkey, M: 0505 483 43 77, eda_coban@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Eda
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Coban
authors.forename: Belgin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mutluay
authors.forename: Aysu
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sen
authors.forename: Asli
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Keskek
authors.forename: Dilek
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Atakl
authors.forename: Aysun
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Soysal
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003943:Diagnostic Techniques, Neurological / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004576:Electromyography; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006261:Headache / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D009462:Neurology / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D020521:Stroke / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014717:Vertigo / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology