Análise da Utilização de um Serviço de Urgência num Hospital em Portugal: Um Estudo Observacional

Background: Emergency departments (EDs) face overload due to excessive use for non-urgent conditions. The Manchester Triage System (MTS) is essential for prioritizing care according to symptomseverity. Objective: To analyze the patterns of ED use by patients at a hospital in northern Portugal. Methodology: An observational study using data from clinical records in the “SClínico” information system, covering all ED admissions from January 1, 2019, to December 31, 2022. Results: ED admissions decreased in 2020, but by 2022 admissions exceeded pre-pandemic levels. The most frequent reason for ED use among non-urgent patients was mild pain. Conclusion: The high proportion of non-urgent visits reinforces the need to promote health literacy and strengthen primary healthcare services to reduce excessive ED use.