Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine Adult Hospital emergency Medicine department adult emergency service of patients WHO stayed longer than 24 hours and the factors affecting the duration of hospitalization

Emergency departments (ED) are an important component of the health system. The number of patients admitting to ED's, their demands and expectations has been increasing every year. Patients who are waiting for long-term hospitalization in ED is a worldwide problem which causes ED capacity problems, overcrowding and many other negative effects. Between July 1st, 2018 and July 1st, 2019, 500 patients in who admitted in Hacettepe Adult ED waited to board upperstairs more than 24 hours. The median age of these patients was 69 years. The most common triage code was T3 (97.4%). The most common comorbid diseases, HT (43.8%), malignancy (42%) and DM (28%). The patients got dementia CAD and malignancy were significantly higher mortality rates (19.6%, 17.5% and 14.3%). The patients mostly consulted to departments of internal medicine (91.6%), infectious diseases (74.6%), and cardiology (34.4%). The number of consultations and length of stay in ED directly correlated. 251 patients were discharged after their treatment was completed in the ED, 55 patients died and11 patients of them were transferred to another center. 8 patients left voluntarily. 175 patients boarded 116 were hospitalized in wards and 59 in ICUs. The median length of stay in ED was found to be 66.3 hours. Lack of room in the ward (n=210) or ICU (n= 220) were main reason for prolonged the stay in ED. Increasing capacity of services, intensive care units and palliative centers; maintaining more effective home care services and activating day care centers may reduce the length of stay in ED.