Lack of acute beds overcrowds emergency departments

Overcrowding in the emergency department is the biggest impediment to the delivery of care, says Fatovich (p 958) in this week's clinical review. The main cause is that the inflow into departments is greater than the outflow as patients are denied access to ongoing care owing to bed shortages. This is termed “access block.” Departments, he warns, may no longer be able to supply emergency care that is both timely and of a high quality.

LETTAU/ARNOLD INC/SPL