Background Displacement after a war or an armed conflict always leads to unexpected health problems, both among migrating people and in places to which new people have migrated. This study aimed to determine the health care needs and trends of Syrian patients. Methods This retrospective study was conducted in a secondary care hospital in the city of Nevşehir, in central Turkey, between January 2013 and December 2017. All Syrian patients who visited the outpatient clinics and emergency department (ED) were enrolled in the study. Results Over a span of five years, 41 723 Syrian patients visited the hospital’s outpatient clinics and ED. The patients’ median age was 23 (inter-quartile range (IQR) = 7-34), and 57.7% of them were female. In 2017, one-third of the Syrian patients visited the ED, a rate that was higher than that found among local patients (30.3% vs 25.0%, P < 0.001, respectively). The rate of pediatric clinic admissions among Syrian patients was about four times greater than the rate of local patients (20.1% vs 5.2%, P < 0.001, respectively), and Syrians’ rate of admission to the obstetrics and gynecology clinic was about three times greater than the rate of local patients’ admissions (12.3% vs 4.3%, P < 0.001, respectively). Conclusions This study showed that Syrian patients’ visits to the hospital, and especially the ED, are increasing. Further, the needs and expectations of these patients in terms of health care are different from local demands. New approaches should be applied to provide an appropriate use of health care facilities.

Introduction: Although intrahospital transportation of critical patients from the emergency department (ED) is inevitable, it could also result in life-threatening situations. These situations, referred to as unwanted or unexpected events, mainly happen during the transportation of patients for diagnostic imaging or invasive procedures and result in a wide spectrum from vital condition changes, mental condition changes to cardiopulmonary arrest and death. Emergency departments have a high risk of facing such situations because these units are the first admission door of critical patients. Material and methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted prospectively, after interviewing the doctors who work in the ED actively, and by filling out the forms which were already prepared by the participants. Statistical analysis was performed according to the data received, and results were compared to the literature. Results: Three hundred and forty-seven doctors from 52 hospitals were included in the study. 59.4% (n = 206) of them were working at EDs which had more than 500 patients admitted. 51.9% (n = 180) of doctors stated that they performed 10 or more critical patients' transport every day from their ED. 86.7% (n = 301) of the participants stated that usage of control checklists would decrease the rate of unwanted situations and stated that they wanted to use them. Conclusions: Intrahospital transportation of critical patients from the emergency room is a subject that should require attention by emergency room doctors, and using educated personnel, proper equipment, standardized protocols and control checklists will decrease the frequency of unwanted situations effectively.

OBJECTIVES: Sternal fractures (SFs) are rare pathologies that mainly occur as a result of traffic accidents, which can cause mortality due to concomitant complications. In this study, we aimed to evaluate clinical processes and termination status of patients diagnosed with a SF in the emergency department. METHODOLOGY: Patients diagnosed with a SF in the emergency department during 8 years were retrospectively reviewed. The demographic and clinical characteristics of the patients were recorded, and standard data forms were created. RESULTS: In total, 128 patients were included in the study; 81 (63.3%) patients were male, and the mean age was 49.4 years. When the fracture mechanism was examined, car traffic accidents were the most common type and the cause of fracture in 85 (66.4%) patients. The most common thoracic pathology accompanying SFs was rib fractures (35.9%), and the most common extrathoracic pathology was cranial pathology (27.3%). Pericardial effusion was detected in 12 (9.4%) patients. Of the participating patients, one died and the others were hospitalized. CONCLUSION: Since SFs and associated complications can be life-threatening, emergency room physicians should consider it in the diagnosis. In particular, the necessary examinations and follow-up should be done to assess cardiac damage.

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