Characterization And Outcomes Of Patients Attending Accident And Emergency Department Of Sandeman Provincial Hospital Quetta.

Abstract

Background: The emergency department is the first point of contact of a wide range of acute medical and trauma cases. Nevertheless, in Balochistan, the lack of information about the demographic characteristics of patients who present with emergency care and their clinical manifestations has been observed. It is essential to understand these peculiarities to ensure the efficient allocation of resources, high triage rates, and better patient outcomes.

Objective: To assess the demographic attributes and clinical manifestations of patients visiting the Accident and Emergency Department of Sandeman Provincial Hospital at Quetta and examine the relationships between such variables and gender, age, marital status, education, and occupation.

Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted in August to October 2025 in the Accident and Emergency Department of Sandeman provincial hospital in Quetta, Pakistan. A convenience sampling of 762 patients aged 15 years and above was used as the sample. The participants had to be able to read or comprehend either Urdu or English and should have agreed to participate. The data were gathered through a research Performa that was previously tested in other research studies and was also informed by professional knowledge. The Department of Pharmacy Practice at the University of Balochistan approved it ethically. The SPSS was used to analyze descriptive statistics (frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations) and cross-tabulations.

Results: Among the 762 participants, there were 52% females, the age group of 15-24 years comprised the highest percentage of participants (32.5%). The majority of them were married (53.3%), students (43.4%), and secondary school educated (50.5%). The most frequent chief complaints were pain (15.1%), weakness (14.5%), and headache (5.7%), and high temperature (5.8%). Pain (n=162) and scratches (n=95) were the most common complaints in male patients whereas weakness (n=166) and headache (n=69) were the most common complaints in female patients. The most reported pain (n=106) and weakness (n=104) were among the age group 15-24 years. There was significantly more presentation of pain in married breakers (n=154) and weakness (n=143). Patients educated to secondary level exhibited the most prevalence of pain (n=153), weakness (n=151), and scratches (n=62). The highest number of reported pain was by the students (n=142), weakness (n=131) and scratches (n=66).

Conclusion: The research finds that young adults, married persons, and students are the most frequent visitors in Quetta ED and the commonest complaint is pain and weakness. There were also distinct demographic and socioeconomic gradients of clinical presentations. These results indicate the necessity of enhanced triage procedures, patient education, and enhancement of emergency preparedness to the most affected communities.