Profile of patients treated by physiotherapy in the emergency department of a tertiary hospital

Information regarding the profile of patients in hospital emergency departments (ED) provides a better understanding of patients’ clinical and functional needs and monitoring the results of interventions over time, providing better care and treatment for pathologies, comorbidities, and functional complications. Objective: To characterize the clinical profile of patients admitted to the ED who were treated by the physiotherapy service of a tertiary hospital. Methodology: A total of 1015 medical files of patients admitted to the ED of a tertiary hospital over a 6-month period and treated by the physiotherapy department were evaluated. Results: In total, 972 medical files were included in the study. The highest incidence of patients was between 65 and 79 years of age, with a predominance of males. The main diagnoses for admission to the ED were fractures (20.88%) and kidney disease (15.64%). Mechanical ventilation was used in 33.64% of cases and the mean length of stay of patients in the emergency room was 2.7 days. Conclusion: The profile of the patients in our study was older adults, mostly male, with a diagnostic profile of fracture. The improvement in the patients' clinical condition and reduction in the mean length of stay in the ED highlight the importance of physiotherapy in this department.