Language: Spanish
References: 0
Page: 261-273
PDF size: 154.91 Kb.

ABSTRACT

The emergency room is one of the most productive services in any medical institution, where the demand of health services is diverse and complex in nature. Around 15 % of all the medical attentions provided at IMSS were done at the emergency room. There was an important increase in the number of consultations provided from 1995 to 2004; the death rate in the service also increased but the incapacity rate decreased. Adult and elderly women were among the most frequent users of emergency services. The main problems seen were respiratory infections (19.4 %), trauma and poisoning (18.8 %) and diarrheas (8 %). Cholelithiasis, migraine, urinary infections and diabetes were more frequent in women, while trauma, accidents and conjunctivitis were more frequent in men. In relation to mortality, around 21% of all deaths registered at IMSS occurred in the emergency room. Diabetes and cardiovascular diseases appeared among the main death causes, especially in the adult and elderly population. Mortality was higher in men than in women.