Length of Stay of the Patients in the Short-Stay Observation Unit of the Emergency Department Service in Songklanagarind Hospital

Objective: To describe the length of stay of the patients in short-stay observation unit (SOU) of a medical school hospital. Materials and methods: We undertook a retrospective data review of patients admitted to the SOU from 1 August 2007 to 31 July 2008. Results: There were 1,715 patients of the SOU who were transferred from the emergency department. The three main conditions were minor head injury, gastroenteritis, and hemophilia with bleeding. The average length of stay (LOS) was 19 hours 47 minutes. The majority (71.3%) had a LOS of 24 hours or less. The factor related to a decreased LOS less than 24 hours were diagnosis of animal bites, adverse events during observation, and consultative cases. Seventy-six percent of the patients were discharged. Conclusion: The average short-stay observation was not more than 24 hours which reflected the minor and non-serious conditions that were appropriate for observation.