Patient characteristics and patient flow in a small accident and emergency department

Results 60% were admitted to the Medical Department, 22% to the Surgical Department, 15% to the Orthopedic Department and 3% to Department of Gynecology. 51% were women and 49% were men. Medical and Orthopedic patients were typically above 51 years of age while gynecological patients typically were between 21 and 40 years old. The surgical patients had an equal age distribution within the interval 21-90 years. No week-week variations of admittance (mean 25 patients a day) were seen. 59% of the patients were treated within 48 hours in the A&E department out of these 59%, 25% were discharged immediately, 35% were send to the clinical departments, the rest were sent to another hospital or died. Out of patients treated in the A&E department, 60% (Surgery), 39% (Medicine), 41% (Orthopedic), and 7 8% (Gynecology) were discharged without need of follow-up by General Practitioner (GP). 16% (Surgery), 10% (Medicine), 20% (Orthopedic Surgery), and 30% (Gynaecology) were seen in the outpatient clinics. 5.5% (Surgery), 1.9% (Medicine), 5.7% (Orthopedic Surgery), and 7.9 (Gynecology) were sent to the outpatients clinic of a different specialty. Totally, 4.3% were readmitted within 30 days once and 0.7% twice.