ABSTRACT
In order to describe the population requiring an emergency admission in public hospitals in Paris Ile-de-France region, 7 358 hospitalization records were selected in a large morbidity data base. This sample is representative of emergency hospitalizations in the public hospitals of Paris-Ile-de-France region. There were slightly more women and patients were more often hospitalized in a hospital in their neighbourhood. Medical advice before going to hospital was rare. The mean length of stay was 9.5 days. The main pathologies leading to emergency hospitalizations were trauma and intoxication, pregnancy and delivery, and cardiovascular disease. The annual emergency hospitalization rate was 33 per 1 000 for Paris-Ile-de-France inhabitants of all ages. Limits and advantages of the results are discussed.