Análise da taxa de utilização e proposição de escala operacional em unidade de pronto atendimento de pequeno porte

Introduction: The organization of urgent and emergency care services is challenged by demand variability and the frequent use of these services for low-complexity conditions, compromising problem-solving capacity and operational stability. Objective: To analyze the daily utilization rate of an urgent care unit in a small municipality and to propose an operational range scale based on the empirical distribution of demand. Methodology: This is an observational, descriptive, and quantitative study with retrospective analysis of secondary data referring to all visits performed between October 2024 and September 2025 (365 days). Descriptive measures, rates per 1,000 inhabitants/day, normality analysis, operational percentiles, and identification of extreme values were calculated. Results: A mean of 88.6 visits/day was observed, with a right-skewed distribution and a median utilization rate of 8.6 visits per 1,000 inhabitants/day. Demand was concentrated during daytime hours and peaked at the beginning of the week, with days above the 99th percentile characterizing healthcare overload. Conclusion: Demand variability proved to be structural and can be transformed into a managerial tool, supporting dynamic resource allocation through the proposed operational range scale.