Lynch R M, Greaves I
Accident and Emergency Department, Hull Royal Infirmary.
J Accid Emerg Med. 2000 Sep;17(5):351-4. doi: 10.1136/emj.17.5.351.
To examine the profile of regular attenders to an accident and emergency (A&E) department, and to estimate the percentage of the overall departmental workload attributed to this group of patients, together with the resultant cost to the department of these attendances.
A retrospective study of regular attenders to the A&E department at Hull Royal Infirmary was conducted between 1 January 1998 and 30 June 1998. The information gathered included age, sex, marital status, accommodation, investigations performed, concurrent alcohol use, presenting complaints and disposal.
The A&E department at Hull Royal Infirmary sees approximately 87 000 new patients per year. Forty regular attenders presented 475 times in six months accounting for 1.1% of the departmental workload. The most common presenting complaints were overdose (27.4%), minor injuries (19%), alcohol intoxication (14%) and seizures (10.5%). Eighty per cent of patients were single and 7.5% were of no fixed abode. A total of 191 admissions resulted and the cost to the department for investigations performed was between ł2709.59 and ł3739.85. The cost of inhospital admissions was in excess of ł34000.
Improved management of these patients together with a reduction in their alcohol intake may lead to a significant reduction in both workload for accident departments and hospitals and in the number of regular attenders.
研究急诊部门的常客情况，估算该组患者在整个部门工作量中所占的百分比，以及这些就诊给部门带来的成本。
对1998年1月1日至1998年6月30日期间赫尔皇家医院急诊部门的常客进行回顾性研究。收集的信息包括年龄、性别、婚姻状况、住所、进行的检查、同时饮酒情况、就诊主诉及处置方式。
赫尔皇家医院急诊部门每年接待约87000名新患者。40名常客在6个月内就诊475次，占部门工作量的1.1%。最常见的就诊主诉是药物过量（27.4%）、轻伤（19%）、酒精中毒（14%）和癫痫发作（10.5%）。80%的患者为单身，7.5%无固定住所。共导致191例住院，部门进行检查的费用在2709.59英镑至3739.85英镑之间。住院费用超过34000英镑。
改善对这些患者的管理并减少他们的酒精摄入量，可能会显著减少急诊部门和医院的工作量以及常客数量。
