Epidemiological and clinical features of the emergency visits in a rural hospital in Cubal, Angola
Turbau Valls, Miquel (Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica Sant Pau)
Gil Olivas, Eva (Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica Sant Pau)
López García, Teresa (Hospital Nossa Senhora da Paz (Cubal, Angola))
Piedade, Domingas (Hospital Nossa Senhora da Paz (Cubal, Angola))
Pessela, Agostinho (Hospital Nossa Senhora da Paz (Cubal, Angola))
Moreno Nicasio, Milagros (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona)

Date:	2018
Abstract:	There is scarce information on the profiles of patients attended in the Emergency Departments (ED) in rural Angola. Retrospective descriptive study including all the patients treated in the ED in Hospital Nossa Senhora da Paz (Cubal) during 6 months (December 2014- May 2015). The epidemiological and clinical data collected were: age, sex, shift, service assignment, reason for consultation and outcome (discharge, admission, referral or death). A total of 2384 patients (53. 4% women) were attended. The median age was 10 years (range: 0 - 96 years); 57. 9% and 40. 2% of them were under 17 and 5 years, respectively. No differences were observed regarding the assistance per shift, weekdays, weekends, or mean age per shift. The reason for consultation was registered in 69. 9% of the patients; the most common were respiratory tract infections (20. 5%), fever (14%), digestive diseases (13. 6%) and malaria (10. 4%). Up to 47. 2% of the patients required in-hospital treatment and 1. 3% were transferred to other hospitals. The patients admitted were significantly younger than the patients discharged (median age of 4 vs. 16 years, p < 0. 01). The mortality rate within the ED was 0. 5%. Young patients were those who mostly required assistance in the ED. Infectious diseases were the most frequent reason for consultation. Pulmonary tuberculosis was suspected in one third of respiratory infections. The admission rate was high, especially in children under 5 years and in cases of malaria and malnutrition. Low referral rate and low mortality within the ED were observed.
Rights:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, la comunicació pública de l'obra i la creació d'obres derivades, fins i tot amb finalitats comercials, sempre i quan es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Subject:	Tropical medicine ; Angola ; Emergency service ; Malaria ; Low-and middle-income countries
Published in:	The Pan African Medical Journal, Vol. 29 (march 2018) , ISSN 1937-8688

DOI: 10.11604/pamj.2018.29.143.13780
PMID: 30050607

6 p, 386.0 KB

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Research literature > UAB research groups literature > Research Centres and Groups (research output) > Health sciences and biosciences > Institut de Recerca Sant Pau
Articles > Research articles
Articles > Published articles