[Internal medicine--limited or wide medical specialty?]

980 consecutive admissions to the medical department of Aker Hospital were analyzed in order to determine the extent to which the department deals with problems not related directly to the field of internal medicine. 709 patients (72%) were admitted for purely medical conditions. These patients occupied 49% of the beds. In 121 cases (12%) the main reason for admission involved other specialities. 209 admissions (21%) involved conditions other than somatic disease. Patients waiting for transferral to permanent nursing homes occupied 16% of the beds. Most patients needed hospital care, and many suffered from complex medical conditions. These factors advocate a liberal admission policy. On the other hand, medical departments should be relieved of responsibility for patients whose primary requirement is long-term care.