[Modalities of hospitalization in emergency of institutionalized patients]

Institutionalized people represent 9 to 37% of the patients hospitalized in emergency. The aim of this study is to clarify practical conditions of decision and realization of an hospitalization in emergency from an institution.

This is a prospective and descriptive longitudinal study of the hospitalizations in emergency of institutionalized elderly during six months, from 11 nursing homes.

The patients hospitalized in emergency are old (86.7 ± 7.3 years), more than 80% are women, widows and dependent (GIR 3). Main reasons for hospitalization in emergency are falls in a third of cases and cardio-pulmonary failure (27%). The alert is given by nurses and auxiliary nurses in 60% of cases. The decision of hospitalization is medical in more than 80% of cases. The medical opinion is only on phone in 24.4% of cases. After hospitalizations, 85% of patients came back straight to their institution and 10% died during their stay at the hospital.

The terms of hospitalization in emergency of institutionalized patients must be improved. Nursing homes are an integral part of the geriatric network.