[An integrated emergency medical care system at the University of Leuven]

There are three motives to start an organized medical emergency care system: to provide a systematic approach to all admitted medical emergencies in a specific structure in the hospital. to decrease mortality and morbidity by immediate evaluation and treatment of vital functions. to supply adequate emergency care for the region. These motives can only be realized through well-known options: the system must be multidisciplinary. excellence in critical care medicine must be available at all times. a system of mobile medical emergency care must be developed. all available regional emergency care facilities must be integrated. Only this way can the emergency service evolve as the central link of critical care medicine.