[Functioning of a university hospital emergency department]

The emergency department is the part of the hospital where patients with undifferentiated emergencies are triaged and receive their initial resuscitation and treatment. It provides a 24/7 service with doctors and nurses trained in emergency medicine.

We describe our emergency department and its activity to emphasize the difficulties and try to suggest a better emergency department organization.

descriptive retrospective study of an emergency department and its activity during the year 2004.

the department has two units: a reception unit with a resuscitation room,a trauma room, an ambulatory emergencies room, and an observation unit. There is an average of 89 patients a day with peaks in july and august, wednesday and Thursday and between 7.00 and 2.00 pm and even between 5.00 and 9.00 pm. 86.6% of patients have medical pathologies, 60% are graded CCMU II and 11% are admitted in the hospital, half of whom in the emergency observation unit with a 28 hours mean stay.

emergency department organization must be fit to local requirements. Improvement of emergency functioning requires radiological and biological departments reinforcement and medical seniorisation; which may also reduce medical cost.