Profile of emergency department attendances

Following the implementation of a computerised Emergency Department (ED) attendance record, the data collected were analysed to describe the profile of ED attendances. A McDonnell Douglas ED module (1988 version) upgraded at Western Hospital was installed one year prior to the study period. Data entry was performed by clerical staff at the time of attendance. Diagnostic coding was performed by hospital medical officers. Introduction of the computerised attendance record was associated with no increase in staffing and was accepted by the staff with minimum difficulty. From 1 March 1989 to 28 February 1990, 48,748 attendances to the ED were documented at Western Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, a 305 bed metropolitan hospital situated in the mixed residential and industrial western suburb of Footscray in Melbourne. Males predominated (55% of attendances overall), especially in the 16–25 year age group. Peak attendances were in the very young and young adult age groups. There was little seasonal variation in the number of attendances. Just under 30% of attendances were due to trauma. This percentage is considerably lower than that reported by comparable overseas studies. Upper respiratory tract infections, asthma and other respiratory disorders made up 8.1% of all attendances, and gastroenteritis and non‐specific gastrointestinal disorders made up a further 4.6%. It is essential that all Australasian EDs develop a computerised attendance record with data which are comparable between hospitals. 1993 Australasian College for Emergency Medicine and Australasian Society for Emergency Medicine