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Article
Overcrowding in the emergency departments: Challenges and opportunities for improvement
JPMA. The Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association
  • Muhammad Akbar Baig, Aga Khan University
  • Asad Mian, Aga Khan University
  • Fatima Najeeb, Aga Khan University
  • Hira Shahzad, Aga Khan University
Publication Date
12-1-2015
Document Type
Article
Disciplines
Abstract

With the advent of Emergency Medicine, one can observe an increase in the number of Emergency Departments (ED) across the country. However, most EDs struggle due to an overwhelming number of patients. Overcrowding can lead to delays in patient care. For a city like Karachi which is an active disaster zone, preemptive preparedness is required in the face of terror threats and such overcrowding needs to be decreased to a bare minimum. The most frequent causes of prolonged length of stay (LOS) in the ED include non-availability of in-hospital beds, delays in response to subspecialty consultations and escalating medical expenses. All of these can negatively impact patient care by putting patient safety at risk and patient care in jeopardy. There is an increased risk of unintentional medical errors and a concomitant increase in unwanted lawsuits. A few simple interventions which may help alleviate this situation to some extent have been discussed.

Citation Information
Muhammad Akbar Baig, Asad Mian, Fatima Najeeb and Hira Shahzad. "Overcrowding in the emergency departments: Challenges and opportunities for improvement" JPMA. The Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association Vol. 65 Iss. 12 (2015) p. 1344 - 1345
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/asad_mian/18/