Use and misuse of emergency services at King Fahad hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

ABSTRACT

All attendances at the Emergency Department of King Fahad Hospital, Riyadh, over a 28-day period were studied and categorized on the basis of the urgency of the presenting problems. More than 90% of attenders were classified as non-urgent. Characteristics of attenders, their problems, and the outcome of attendance are described. The findings are used to explore appropriate use of emergency and primary care services and to indicate the need for further studies in this field