ResearchArticle
Spectrum, Pattern, and Clinical Outcomes of Adult
Emergency Department Admissions in Selected Hospitals of
Western Ethiopia: A Hospital-Based Prospective Study
Ashenafi Habte Woyessa ,
1
Birhanu Yadecha Dibaba,
2
Getahun Fetensa Hirko,
2
and Thanasekaran Palanichamy
3
1
Wollega University, Institute of Health Science, School of Nursing and Midwifery,
Department of Emergency and Critical Care Nursing, Nekemte, Ethiopia
2
WollegaUniversity,InstituteofHealthScience,SchoolofNursingandMidwifery,DepartmentofNursing,Nekemte,Ethiopia
3
Wollega University, Institute of Health Science, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Department of
Psychiatry Nursing, Nekemte, Ethiopia
Correspondence should be addressed to Ashenafi Habte Woyessa; ashexman2019@gmail.com
Received 26 April 2019; Revised 8 July 2019; Accepted 18 July 2019; Published 6 August 2019
Academic Editor: Selim Suner
Copyright © 2019 Ashenafi Habte Woyessa et al. is is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons
AttributionLicense,whichpermitsunrestricteduse,distribution,andreproductioninanymedium,providedtheoriginalworkis
properly cited.
Background. ere has been a steady rise in the absolute number of emergency room admissions over the last few decades. e
healthcare delivery system of a country is required to be adjusted to patterns of morbidity and mortality to mitigate the minimized
prolonged ill health consequences and premature death of adults. e spectrum, patterns, morbidity, and mortality of health and
health-related emergency conditions for which patients visit hospitals often reflect the magnitude of different health problems in a
society. e objective of this study was therefore to assess the spectrum, pattern, characteristics, and clinical outcomes of emergency
department admissions among adult people who visited EDs of the selected hospitals in western Ethiopia. Methodology. Hospital-
based prospective cross-sectional study design was utilized. To select hospitals to be included in the study, the area sampling
technique was used. Five administrative zones in west Oromia were selected as geographical clusters. en, four hospitals were
randomlyselectedfromeachzone.Finally,theconsecutivesamplingtechniquewasutilizedtorecruitthestudyparticipants. Results.
emeanageofthepatientsadmittedtoemergencydepartments(EDs)oftheselectedhospitalswas34.98years.emale-to-female
ratio of the respondents was nearly equal (1:1.04). While one-fourth (20.4%) of the patients arrived by ambulances (without
identifyingreason),23.6%ofthemvisitedtheemergencydepartmentastheyhadnootherplacetogo.Medicalemergencies(45.4%)
were the leading types of emergencies followed by traumatic emergencies (27.3%). Respiratory distress (12.43%), extremity fractures
(9.61%),andhypertensivedisorders(8.6%)wereamongthetopleadingcausesofadultEDadmissions.Vitalsignswerederangedin
about 59.4% of the cases. e most common type of immediately life-threatening problems identified on arrival was impairment of
breathing (37%), followed by circulatory compromises (30%). Emergency department admission patterns were variable with peak
admissionsinthemonthofFebruaryandthelowestinNovember.evastmajority(90.9%)ofemergencypatientssurvived.While
8.5% of patients died of the various types of emergency conditions, the final clinical outcome was not identified in 1.5% of the
patients. Conclusion. is study has showed mixed cases with varied patterns and outcomes of adult emergency department
admissions. As overall there is a need to be alert during specific seasons, actions must be taken to improve the readiness of existing
emergencyroomservices.Furthermore,itisworthwhiletoinvestfurtheronstandardizingandorganizingprehospitalservicesatthe
community level.
Hindawi
Emergency Medicine International
Volume 2019, Article ID 8374017, 10 pages
https://doi.org/10.1155/2019/8374017