Objective: To study the frequency and characteristics of the hospitalized patients medical emergencies.
Patients and methods: We have collected daily the notice to the emergency room from patients hospitalized and we have analyzed the clinical and epidemiological characteristics.
Results: Three hundred forty-one notices were recorded. The daily mean was higher on holidays. There were mostly medical problems (78%). Complementary explorations were performed in the 44% of the patients, and in the 77% the treatment was changed.
Conclusions: The in-patient emergencies account for an important charge of work for the emergency team and involve important diagnosis and therapeutic decisions.