Urologic interconsultation in a general hospital: analysis of 100 consecutive consultations

One hundred consecutive interconsultations were made on 89 patients during a two and a half month period to the Urology Service by physicians from a 970-bed General Hospital (excluding Uropediatrics, Nephrology and Renal Transplantation). Sixty percent were on males. The mean age was 61 (range 16-96 years) and 62% were 61 or older, a higher rate than that reported for an ambulatory population. Three consultations were considered inappropriate, and 37 urgent or very urgent. The most common cause was acute urinary retention (21%), followed by genitourinary bleeding (18%). Overall, catheters were involved in 35% of the consultations. The medical departments made 61 interconsultations, 33 came from surgical departments and 6 from the emergency department. The causes and implications of consultation are analyzed.