Analysis of urgent inpatient neurologic consultations in a large tertiary hospital center: Follow-up on the effect of standardized training of residents.

BACKGROUND

Clinical neurology is difficult for young residents. To familiarize with neurological emergencies as soon as possible for young doctors, the urgent inpatient neurologic consultations were analyzed.

METHODS

A retrospective study was conducted on the urgent inpatient neurologic consultations in a large tertiary hospital for 4 consecutive years.

RESULTS

A total of 1437 cases were included, and the annual consultation cases gradually decreased from 573 to 257, involving 29 clinical departments. The disorders of urgent inpatient neurologic consultations were divided into three categories: neurological disorders (77.8%), non-neurological disorders (10.4%), and undiagnosed disorders (11.8%), common causes in consultation were disturbance of consciousness (36.0%), convulsions/stiffness (13.6%), limb weakness (8%), and mental disorder (5.6%). Common neurological disorders included acute cerebrovascular disease (33.6%), epilepsy/status epilepticus (15.8%), and metabolic or infectious toxic encephalopathy (14.9%).

CONCLUSION

Urgent inpatient neurologic consultations involve multidisciplinary critical diseases, mainly neurological diseases. The standardized training of residents may help to rapidly improve the comprehensive diagnosis and treatment ability of young residents and is suitable for use in hospitals at all levels.