background: reports on the determinants of morbidity in coronary artery bypass graft surgery (cabg) have focused on outcome measures such as length of postoperative stay in the intensive care unit (icu). we proposed that major comorbidities in the icu hampered the prognostic effect of other weaker but important preventable risk factors with effect on patients’ length of hospitalization. so we a...

OBJECTIVE To compare patients admitted from the emergency department (ED) directly to a ward (EDWard), the intensive care unit (EDICU) or stepdown (high dependency) unit (EDSDU) with patients admitted via the ED, but whose admission to an ICU (EDWardICU) or SDU (EDWardSDU) was preceded by a ward stay. DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS Administrative and clinical data linkage; 650-bed, tertiary...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate variations in the observation period in the emergency department (ED) in response to bed availability. METHODS A quasi-experimental pre-test post-test study without a control group was conducted in the ED observation ward over 2 1-month periods. During this time the only variable that changed was the number of beds available, which decreased from 20 (pre-test period) to ...

BACKGROUND AND AIMS The emergency department of Aberdeen Royal Infirmary receives around 68,000 new adult admissions annually. All poisoning cases are admitted to a 14-bedded short-stay ward, except those admitted to intensive care or immediately discharged. This study aimed to analyse epidemiological trends and management of short-stay ward admissions for poisonings. METHOD AND RESULTS Adult...

BACKGROUND Reports on the determinants of morbidity in coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) have focused on outcome measures such as length of postoperative stay in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). We proposed that major comorbidities in the ICU hampered the prognostic effect of other weaker but important preventable risk factors with effect on patients' length of hospitalization. So we ai...

BACKGROUND Attempts have been made to improve the efficiency of in-patient acute care. A novel method has been the development of a 'triage system' in which patients are assessed on admission to develop plans for discharge or transfer to an in-patient ward. AIMS To compare a triage admission system with a traditional system. METHOD Length of stay and readmission data for all admissions in a...

A short-stay ward attached to the accident and emergency (A&E) department has opened recently. The development of this ward is described together with its operation over a 1-year period. Head injuries were the commonest reason for admission. Only 7% of children stayed longer than anticipated or were considered inappropriate admissions.

This study examined admissions, final diagnoses and mean duration of stay of patients in the Psychiatric Wards at the General Hospital, Kuala Lumpur. The male ward was severely overcrowded by 125% over the maximum bed capacity. The majority were psychotic, mainly schizophrenic. The female ward had 76% occupancy, also mainly psychotic. Neurotics, alcohol dependents and personality disorders form...