Emergency workload in otolaryngology.

A 6-month prospective audit of the otolaryngology emergency workload in a district general hospital was undertaken. A total of 742 cases was referred of whom 193 (26%) were children (< 16 years). The male to female ratio was equal, and 69% of cases were referred from the accident and emergency department. Although most conditions were minor enough to be managed in the ward treatment room and either discharged (40%) or followed up as outpatients (27%), more than one-quarter of patients (28%) needed management by a post-fellowship ENT surgeon. Of the patients, 31% (230/742) were admitted, of whom 107 (46%) required an operation under general anaesthesia. The consequent ENT emergency workload represented 24% of all new patient referrals, 20% of ENT ward admissions and 10% of ENT surgical procedures.