[Overcrowding in emergency departments: the case of the San Giovanni Battista (Molinette) university hospital in Turin (Italy)].

Overcrowding in Emergency Departments (ED) is a common phenomenon worldwide, especially in metropolitan areas. The main reason for overcrowding is not inappropriate emergency department use by patients but rather a shortage of available hospital beds which results in extended ED stays for patients who need emergency admission. The aims of this study, conducted at the San Giovanni Battista (Molinette) University hospital in Turin (Italy), were a) to verify the existence of overcrowding in the hospital ED and b) to test whether, as stated in the literature, overcrowding is due to restricted access to hospital beds for patients needing emergency admission, and to identify contributing factors. Results show the existence of overcrowding and confirm the hypothesized cause.