[Prospective follow-up of patients with abdominal symptoms treated by emergency room physicians]

In order to evaluate the functioning of emergency room (ER) physicians, patients seen at the ER of the Onze Lieve Vrouwe Gasthuis. Amsterdam, the Netherlands, for abdominal symptoms without having been referred by the GP, were questioned by letter about the course of events two weeks after their visit. Of the 1853 patients with abdominal symptoms attending the ER in July-December 1997, 1221 had no referral letter; of these, 933 were treated independently by the ER physician. Of the latter, 814 were sent a letter, to which 663 of them responded. 307 of them had visited the GP and 48 an ER. Of these 48 patients, 17 had been admitted and 14 of them had been operated. In seven of the 17 patients, the condition had not been recognized by the ER physician at the first visit.