Adult users classified as least urgent in emergency care unit

Abstract

The objective of this study was to know the users of 12 Primary Care Units (UBSs) who went to an Emergency Care Unit (UPA) and were classified as least urgent in a Brazilian large city in 2017. The quantitative approach research used secondary data of the service. A total of 3,584 users met the study’s criteria. They represent 7% of the total users of this UPA who had the same classification. Most of the users were 41 to 65 years old (36.3%), mostly women (62.3%), and preferred days and times the UBSs were closed. There was a positive correlation between the number of individuals registered in each UBS and the demand for least urgent appointments for adults at UPA, and the age range was related to the time they sought the service. The main symptoms observed were: headache, dyspnea, abdominal and back pain, and sore throat.