Objective

Emergency departments serve many functions in the current U.S. healthcare system, including initial management of patients with critical illnesses and primary care for a growing proportion of the population.

Overcrowding of emergency departments is a growing problem.

Delays in admitting patients to inpatient units have been reported as a contributing factor to overcrowding.

To date, the effect of the critically ill patients on the emergency department has not been fully described.

It was the purpose of this study to examine the incidence of critical illness in the emergency department and its total burden as reflected in emergency department length of stay.

Design

Prospective, cohort study in 17,900 emergency department patients.