Abstract:

Objective: Currently, consultation requests are frequently made from emergency departments to other clinics. The aim of this study is to perform a detailed analysis of the consultation requests from the emergency department to the otolaryngology clinic and to evaluate the case results and the need for consultation. Material and Methods: The files of 743 cases consulted from the emergency room to the otolaryngology clinic between January 2016 and December 2019 were reviewed retrospectively. Reasons for requesting consultation, symptoms and diagnoses of the cases, and procedures performed as a result of the consultation were analyzed in detail. Results: The ages of the patients ranged between 1 and 93 years (mean: 49.7 ± 9.38 years), and there were 354 (47.6%) female and 389 (52.4%) male patients. The most common reason for consultation request was epistaxis (24.5%). As a result of the consultation, 1.6% of all cases underwent emergency surgical operation and 4.9% underwent various surgical procedures under local anesthesia, and 4.2% were hospitalized for medical treatment. Outpatient clinic follow-up was recommended for 381 cases (51.3%), while elective operation was recommended for 125 cases (16.8%). As a result of 119 consultations (16.1%), no otolaryngologic pathology was found and these consultations were considered unnecessary. Conclusion: By having a sufficient number of specialist physicians in emergency departments, evaluating the problems associated with consultations with regular meetings between clinics, and organizing training programs in institutions that train specialist doctors, unnecessary requests for consultations can be reduced.

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