Makama Jerry G, Iribhogbe Pius, Ameh Emmanuel A
Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital Zaria, Nigeria, Surgery.
University of Benin Teaching Hospital Benin, Department of Surgery.
Afr Health Sci. 2015 Jun;15(2):457-65. doi: 10.4314/ahs.v15i2.20.
The inability of the Nigeria's Accident and Emergency Departments (AED) to meet current demands is growing among the public and health care professionals. The data supporting perceptions of insufficient capacity are limited. Therefore, this study was intended to determine the prevalence, causes, and effects of overcrowding AEDs in Nigeria.
This was a cross sectional, descriptive study carried out among AED staff of 3 referral teaching hospitals in Nigeria, using a pre-tested and validated structured questionnaire.
The analysis of the 267 AED staff revealed 20-56 years (36.40+5.1 mean) age range. One hundred and twenty eight (47.9%) were males, 139 (52.1%) females. Two hundred and fifty nine (97%) agreed that an AED should have a bed capacity of 21-30. Agreement to AED overcrowding in Nigeria was quite considerable. The frequency of AED overcrowding per week was 4-7 times. The average bed occupancy level was 3.25. Agreed common causes of prolonged AED admissions were to be a high volume of critically ill patients, Delayed transfer of patients to the wards, delay in theatre operation, delay in radiological investigations and exceptionally high proportion of patients requiring admission in AED. Also, long pre-review waiting time and haematological delays were more causes. The average waiting time for victims to be seen was 29.7 minutes.
There are many causes of AED overcrowding in this environment. However, improving AED bed management, better organized and diligent discharge planning, and reducing access block should be a priority to reduce AED overcrowding.
尼日利亚急诊部门无法满足当前需求的情况在公众和医疗保健专业人员中日益凸显。支持能力不足这一认知的数据有限。因此，本研究旨在确定尼日利亚急诊部门过度拥挤的患病率、原因及影响。
这是一项横断面描述性研究，对尼日利亚3家转诊教学医院的急诊部门工作人员进行，使用经过预测试和验证的结构化问卷。
对267名急诊部门工作人员的分析显示，年龄范围在20 - 56岁（平均36.40 + 5.1岁）。128人（47.9%）为男性，139人（52.1%）为女性。259人（97%）认为急诊部门床位应在21 - 30张。尼日利亚急诊部门过度拥挤的情况相当严重。每周急诊部门过度拥挤的频率为4 - 7次。平均床位占用水平为3.25。公认的急诊部门住院时间延长的常见原因包括大量重症患者、患者转病房延迟、手术室手术延迟、放射检查延迟以及急诊部门需要住院治疗的患者比例异常高。此外，长时间的预审查等待时间和血液学检查延迟也是更多原因。受害者等待就诊的平均时间为29.7分钟。
在这种环境下存在许多导致急诊部门过度拥挤的原因。然而，改善急诊部门床位管理、更好地组织和认真进行出院计划以及减少就诊阻碍应作为减少急诊部门过度拥挤的优先事项。
