title: [Causes for consultation in the emergency room among patients with systemic autoimmune diseases].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The causes of acute decompensations of patients with systemic autoimmune diseases are not well known.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To describe the causes for consultation in an emergency room of patients with systemic autoimmune diseases.
  
  
  METHODS
  Review of medical records of patients with systemic autoimmune diseases, aged over 14 years, consulting in an emergency room of a general hospital during three months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the study period, 166 patients with systemic autoimmune diseases consulted in the emergency room, of a total of 18,153 consultations (0.9%). Patients with rheumatoid arthritis were those that consulted with higher frequency (37%) followed by patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (21%). The most common causes for consultation were cardiovascular diseases in 25%, followed by digestive disorders in 15%. The most common diagnosis was chest pain with suspected ischemic heart disease in 36%. No differences in cardiovascular risk factors were observed between those patients consulting for cardiovascular diseases and those consulting for other causes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The most common cause of consultation in the emergency room of patients with systemic autoimmune diseases is cardiovascular.
authors.forename: María Angélica
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Rivera Núñez
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Martínez Caballero
authors.forename: Miriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Estébanez Muñoz
authors.forename: María Elena
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Calvin García
authors.forename: Ángel
authors.initials: Á
authors.lastname: Robles M
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Quintana Díaz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000145:classification / Q000628:therapy*; D002677:Chile; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D062606:Tertiary Care Centers; D055815:Young Adult