Evaluating the Causes and Frequency of Frequent Referral to the Emergency Department of Imam Khomeini Educational Hospital in Sari

Emergency department is one of the most important units of a hospital. In general, the most serious cases are referred to emergency department, and the highest numbers of hospital admissions occur in the emergency department. This study aimed to obtain a comprehensive estimate of the number of frequent visitors to the emergency department of Imam Khomeini educational hospital, Sari. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study was performed retrospectively by referring to the patient medical records at the Sari Imam Khomeini education hospital. The records were screened to identify frequent emergency department visitors in 2017. Data analysis was performed using SPSS 21. Results: The number of emergency department visitors in the Sari Imam Khomeini Hospital in 2017 was 29,765; of them, 594 (6.2%) were repeat visitors and were included in this study. The mean age of the frequent emergency department visitors was 56.17 years. The most common complaint was weakness and lethargy in 39.9% patients, abdominal pain in 30%, shortness of breath in 14%, and other causes in 14%. The most common underlying disorders were anemia, followed by obstruction pulmonary disease. Conclusion: We obtained detailed data of frequent emergency department visitors to aid the development of suitable evidence-based policies. New policies are necessary for the management of various sections of the emergency department and inpatient admissions. Such policies will allow better decision-making for non-emergency patients and outpatient admissions.