Characteristics of Category C patients admitted to an inpatient bed
| Variable | Patients triaged as requiring an ambulance (n=305) | Patients triaged as not requiring an ambulance (n=330) | Significance of difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Admitted | n=47 | n=30 | |
| Age, mean, range (SD) | 58.1 y, 0.5–91.5 (26.4) | 61.2 y, 2–92 (28.9) | p>0.05 |
| 0–15 y | 3 (6.4%) | 2 (6.7%) | |
| 16–60 y | 16 (34.0%) | 10 (33.3%) | |
| 60+ y | 28 (59.6%) | 18 (60.0%) | |
| Men | 27 (57.4%) | 7 (23.3%) | χ2=8.6, df=1, p<0.005 |
| Women | 20 (42.6%) | 23 (76.7%) | |
| Problem presented: | |||
| Neurological/head injury | 4 (9.3%) | 2 (7.1%) | p>0.05 |
| Falls/accidents | 18 (14.9%) | 8 (28.6%) | |
| Sick/unknown | 13 (30.2%) | 12 (42.9%) | |
| Back pain/abdominal pain | 3 (7.0%) | 5 (17.9%) | |
| Other | 5 (11.6%) | 1 (3.6%) | |
| Admission to: | |||
| Medicine | 17 (36.2%) | 16 (53.3%) | p>0.05 |
| Surgery | 6 (12.8%) | 1 (3.3%) | |
| Urology | 1 (2.1%) | 1 (3.3%) | |
| Orthopaedic | 8 (17.0%) | 4 (13.3%) | |
| Paediatric | 3 (6.4%) | 2 (6.7%) | |
| Psychiatric | 1 (2.1%) | 0 | |
| Geriatric | 6 (12.8%) | 2 (6.7%) | |
| ENT | 1 (2.1%) | 0 | |
| Gynaecology | 0 | 4 (13.3%) | |
| Obstetric | 1 (2.1%) | 0 | |
| A&E observation | 3 (6.4%) | 0 | |