Evaluation of psychiatric disorders among admittances to 112 emergency services in Samsun - 2004

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to determine the demographic and clinical characteristics of the patients admitted to 112 emergency services with psychiatric disorders in Samsun city centre in 2004. Methods: Data were obtained from the records of Emergency Health Care Services Department and analyzed by using SPSS 10.0 for Windows package program. Samsun is the biggest city of the Middle Black Sea Region, with a population for about 1.5 million. Samsun Province Directorate of Health provides 112 emergency services in nine health station (four of them in main district and five in the periphery) which contains 10 ambulances, 50 physicians, 130 healthcare personnel's. Results: A total of 9015 cases admitted to 112 emergency services in Samsun, in 2004. Of the patients, 39.5% was men and 60.5% was women and the mean ages of men and women were 37.9±15.4 and 36.3±14.9 years, respectively. Of the cases, 12.3% admitted due to psychiatric disorders. It is notable that most of the applications take place in February and June. However, there is no statistically significant difference between the psychiatric applications regarding the months and seasons (p>0.05). The most common reason for calling the 112 emergency services was syncope (48.1%) and the most diagnosed psychiatric disorder was conversion disorder (62.6%). The most frequent prediagnosis in females are conversion disorders (73.69%) and suicide attempts (9.1%). In males the most frequent prediagnosis are conversion disorders (45.9%) and alcohol consumption (23.1%), It was considered that frequency of applications increase on Wednesdays and after 16.00. Conclusion: It's possible to direct the patients through the correct clinics faster and to reduce the disease load by means of a well-organized emergency health care service.