Features of ENT Cases in the Emergency Department of a Tertiary Hospital in Greece: A Prospectively Driven Data Collection Study
Primary healthcare is the pillar of a well-functioning healthcare system. General practitioners (GPs) should have a broad skillset to cope with the various conditions they encounter in everyday practice. Ear, nose, and throat (ENT) cases are some of the most common reasons for seeking care. The stud...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-07-01
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| Series: | Healthcare |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/11/13/1943 |
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| author | Nikolaos Papadopoulos Emmanuel P. Prokopakis Alexander D. Karatzanis Manolis Linardakis Evangelia Mourellou Emmanouil K. Symvoulakis |
| author_facet | Nikolaos Papadopoulos Emmanuel P. Prokopakis Alexander D. Karatzanis Manolis Linardakis Evangelia Mourellou Emmanouil K. Symvoulakis |
| author_sort | Nikolaos Papadopoulos |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Primary healthcare is the pillar of a well-functioning healthcare system. General practitioners (GPs) should have a broad skillset to cope with the various conditions they encounter in everyday practice. Ear, nose, and throat (ENT) cases are some of the most common reasons for seeking care. The study aimed to define the frequency and type of ENT disorders seen in the emergency department of a tertiary hospital in Greece. All patients examined by an ENT specialist in the emergency department setting, within a year, were recorded, as well as all referrals from private practice or primary care facilities. From September to December 2021, data were collected from patients who agreed to complete a two-minute survey, namely, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-2) questionnaire. During the study year, 4542 cases were documented, from which the most common conditions listed were external otitis (6.9%/314), epistaxis (6.7%/305), and impacted earwax (5.7%/261). The diagnoses that led to hospitalization were 336 and the most common were peritonsillar abscess (16.4%/55), epistaxis (8.0%/27), and facial nerve paralysis (7.4%/25). Referrals from GPs working in the public sector represented more than the half of the total. There was a significant correlation between an increased number of hospital visits and an increased GAD-2 score, in the semester before the current visit (<i>p</i> < 0.001). Referrals to ENT specialists represent around 5% of all cases examined, and about 8% of all visits required hospitalization. Interdisciplinary clinical and research investment into GP training is compulsory to regulate ENT referrals by GPs. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T01:40:52Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-3f5660626b3c44f09bbb0e082a360bb8 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2227-9032 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T01:40:52Z |
| publishDate | 2023-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Healthcare |
| spelling | doaj.art-3f5660626b3c44f09bbb0e082a360bb82023-11-18T16:37:20ZengMDPI AGHealthcare2227-90322023-07-011113194310.3390/healthcare11131943Features of ENT Cases in the Emergency Department of a Tertiary Hospital in Greece: A Prospectively Driven Data Collection StudyNikolaos Papadopoulos0Emmanuel P. Prokopakis1Alexander D. Karatzanis2Manolis Linardakis3Evangelia Mourellou4Emmanouil K. Symvoulakis5Clinic of Social and Family Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Crete, Voutes, 71003 Heraklion, GreeceDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Crete, 71003 Heraklion, GreeceDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Crete, 71003 Heraklion, GreeceClinic of Social and Family Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Crete, Voutes, 71003 Heraklion, GreeceClinic of Social and Family Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Crete, Voutes, 71003 Heraklion, GreeceClinic of Social and Family Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Crete, Voutes, 71003 Heraklion, GreecePrimary healthcare is the pillar of a well-functioning healthcare system. General practitioners (GPs) should have a broad skillset to cope with the various conditions they encounter in everyday practice. Ear, nose, and throat (ENT) cases are some of the most common reasons for seeking care. The study aimed to define the frequency and type of ENT disorders seen in the emergency department of a tertiary hospital in Greece. All patients examined by an ENT specialist in the emergency department setting, within a year, were recorded, as well as all referrals from private practice or primary care facilities. From September to December 2021, data were collected from patients who agreed to complete a two-minute survey, namely, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-2) questionnaire. During the study year, 4542 cases were documented, from which the most common conditions listed were external otitis (6.9%/314), epistaxis (6.7%/305), and impacted earwax (5.7%/261). The diagnoses that led to hospitalization were 336 and the most common were peritonsillar abscess (16.4%/55), epistaxis (8.0%/27), and facial nerve paralysis (7.4%/25). Referrals from GPs working in the public sector represented more than the half of the total. There was a significant correlation between an increased number of hospital visits and an increased GAD-2 score, in the semester before the current visit (<i>p</i> < 0.001). Referrals to ENT specialists represent around 5% of all cases examined, and about 8% of all visits required hospitalization. Interdisciplinary clinical and research investment into GP training is compulsory to regulate ENT referrals by GPs.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/11/13/1943primary careENTreferralsemergency departmenturgent cases |
| spellingShingle | Nikolaos Papadopoulos Emmanuel P. Prokopakis Alexander D. Karatzanis Manolis Linardakis Evangelia Mourellou Emmanouil K. Symvoulakis Features of ENT Cases in the Emergency Department of a Tertiary Hospital in Greece: A Prospectively Driven Data Collection Study Healthcare primary care ENT referrals emergency department urgent cases |
| title | Features of ENT Cases in the Emergency Department of a Tertiary Hospital in Greece: A Prospectively Driven Data Collection Study |
| title_full | Features of ENT Cases in the Emergency Department of a Tertiary Hospital in Greece: A Prospectively Driven Data Collection Study |
| title_fullStr | Features of ENT Cases in the Emergency Department of a Tertiary Hospital in Greece: A Prospectively Driven Data Collection Study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Features of ENT Cases in the Emergency Department of a Tertiary Hospital in Greece: A Prospectively Driven Data Collection Study |
| title_short | Features of ENT Cases in the Emergency Department of a Tertiary Hospital in Greece: A Prospectively Driven Data Collection Study |
| title_sort | features of ent cases in the emergency department of a tertiary hospital in greece a prospectively driven data collection study |
| topic | primary care ENT referrals emergency department urgent cases |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/11/13/1943 |
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