MANAGEMENT OF EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT DURING HAJJ PERIOD

Objectives: Haj is considered a unique medical crisis especially to th e emergency department. This study will test the diagnosing ability of a new concept based on triaging the patients into critical and non-cr itical, medical and surgical cases. A prospective study of emergency d epartment management during haj in the largest tertiary care hospital in Makkah city and holy lands. Methods: Triage team was positioned at each of the two entrances of the emergency department. The rooms of th e emergency department were divided into critical and non-critical, me dical and surgical areas, pediatric and obstetric and gynecological ar eas. Results: The number of patients that attended the emergency depar tment was 7676 and out of those, 1426 patients were admitted. The diag nosing ability of the triage personnel was extremely accurate. Conclus ion: Implementing the triage scheme of critical and non-critical, medi cal and surgical cases and also dividing the rooms of emergency depart ment to accommodate this triage was quite successful during haj. It mi ght also be successful in similar situations.