2009 Volume 52 Issue 3 Pages 159-165
We report the status of use of the emergency medical services of the department of otolaryngology at our hospital from April, 2007, to March, 2008. A total of 1,033 patients attended the emergency medical service and 248 of these patients were transported by ambulance. Acute otitis media was the most frequently encountered condition in the emergency department, followed by epistaxis and foreign body in the ear. In regard to the use of the ambulance service, epistaxis was the most frequent reason, followed by foreign body in the ear, and vertigo. The most frequently encountered age group was the under-10 years old group. The ambulance use rate was higher in older age groups. The results showed an increase in the number of adults presenting with emergency conditions and of the ambulance use rate from midnight to early morning.
Under these circumstances, we believe that there is a need to enlighten the population about emergency treatments at home, to establish an emergency transportation triage, and also establish an emergency counseling center.
We hope to evaluate the current status of the emergency services provided at each hospital in the city, with the aim of establishing a more efficient emergency medical service.
