BACKGROUND: Repeated use of a @entity146 emergency room (PER) is inadequate, and revolving door @entity1 represent a burden on PER. Their socio-demographic and diagnostic profiles need to be better documented to enable early identification. METHODS: A retrospective study was undertaken over a 16-month period following the initial visit. Non-repeaters, occasional (2-3 contacts) or frequent repeaters (4 or more) were compared with univariate and logistic regression techniques. RESULTS: Frequent repeaters - 4% of 2,470 @entity1 and 15% of 3,511 contacts - were more likely to be younger socially handicapped males stressed by grief, pharmaceutical drug misusers and self-referred with no previous hospitalization history. The diagnostic profile was a mixture of severity ( @entity716 ) and @entity2383 ( @entity308 ). Disposition upon first contact was temporary hospitalization at PER revealing case assessment difficulties. A continuum of social disability from occasional to frequent repetition of contact was observed. CONCLUSION: Repeaters have characteristics that may permit early identification. Their diagnosis, a mixture of non-specific complaints and primarily residual or disorganized @entity161 , defies evaluation and adequate treatment. Networking with services able to provide help for this type of @entity1 would alleviate the burden on PER. If not available within the community, the development of an ad hoc program should be considered.

Occasional and frequent repeaters in a XXXX emergency room.

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['patients', 'patient'] @entity308 :: ('MESH:D003866', 'Disease') :: ['secondary depressive disorder'] @entity146 :: ('MESH:D001523', 'Disease') :: ['psychiatric'] @entity161 :: ('MESH:D012559', 'Disease') :: ['schizophrenia'] @entity716 :: ('MESH:D011605', 'Disease') :: ['psychosis'] @entity2383 :: ('MESH:D028361', 'Disease') :: ['less structured complaints']
@entity146 :: (MESH:D001523,Disease) :: ['psychiatric']
