Aetiology and outcome of dypnoea in emergency department patients

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Introduction: Dyspnoea is a common and complex diagnostic problem in ED patients. Aim: To record initial diagnoses and outcome in ED cases of dyspnoea in a general hospital. Material: Adults whose presenting complaint was dyspnoea during 3 consecutive summer on calls. Methods: On site recording of relevant data. SPSS 18 was used for statistical analysis. Results: 54(2.9%) patients presented to AE in 9(16.7%) patients there was acute deterioration of chronic dyspnoea. Initial diagnoses were: COPD(20.4%), asthma(5.6%), cancer(9.3%), pleuritis(7.4%), haemoptysis(7.4%), pulmonary embolism(1.9%), febrile infection(22.2%), SOAS(1.9%), heart failure(14.9%), coronary artery disease(3.7%), hypertension(1.9%), neuropsychiatric disease(1.9%) and miscellaneous(1.9%). Patients were treated at short stay units (3.7%), special departments (48.1%), ITUs(1.9%), specialist centres(1.9%) and at home(44.4%). The mean duration of hospitalization was 7±2 days. Concordance between admission and discharge diagnoses was 90.7%. Additional medical problems were identified in 25.9% of the patients that presented with dyspnoea. Conclusion: Dyspnoea in ED patients is a complex medical problem that requires meticulous clinical attention.

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