Lee V, Kerr J F, Braitberg G, Louis W J, O'Callaghan C J, Frauman A G, Mashford M L
Department of Emergency Medicine, Austin & Repatriation Medical Centre, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia.
Emerg Med (Fremantle). 2001 Mar;13(1):37-42. doi: 10.1046/j.1442-2026.2001.00175.x.
To evaluate the impact of a toxicology service on a major metropolitan teaching hospital.
A descriptive comparative study of all patients presenting with poisoning or suspected poisoning 12 months before and after the commencement of a toxicology service. Data on length of stay in the emergency department, disposition, length of stay of admitted patients and substance(s) involved were examined.
A total of 1,316 poisoned patients were studied. There was a statistically significant increase in self-poisonings from 612 to 704 (P = 0.002) and in the number of admissions from 113 to 192 (P < 0.05). There was no significant change in emergency department length of stay. The average length of stay for patients admitted under the care of the toxicology service decreased, especially for complicated patients.
In the first 12 months of operation the toxicology service treated more patients than the 12-month period prior to commencement, achieving a decrease in average length of stay for those patients admitted to the service. The emergency department length of stay was not altered. We surmise that by decreasing average length of stay for the patients under the care of the toxicology service, the net increase in the general pool of unoccupied beds improves bed access for all emergency department patients.
评估毒理学服务对一家大型都市教学医院的影响。
对毒理学服务开始前12个月和开始后12个月内所有出现中毒或疑似中毒症状的患者进行描述性比较研究。检查了急诊科住院时间、处置情况、住院患者的住院时间以及所涉及的物质等数据。
共研究了1316例中毒患者。自我中毒病例从612例增加到704例，差异具有统计学意义（P = 0.002）；住院人数从113例增加到192例（P < 0.05）。急诊科住院时间无显著变化。在毒理学服务护理下的患者平均住院时间缩短，尤其是复杂病例。
在运营的头12个月里，毒理学服务治疗的患者比服务开始前的12个月更多，服务对象的平均住院时间有所缩短。急诊科住院时间未改变。我们推测，通过缩短毒理学服务护理下患者的平均住院时间，未占用病床总数的净增加改善了所有急诊科患者的床位可及性。
