Infectious diseases and clinical microbiology consultations in the emergency department: A cross-sectional study at a tertiary-care hospital

Background: Although there is limited data about the role of infectious diseases and clinical microbiology(IDCM) consultations in the Emergency Department (ED), they have a key role in deciding on hospitalizationand appropriate use of antibiotics.Objectives: To evaluate demographic and clinical characteristics of patients who visited the ED of our hospitaland underwent an IDCM consultation.Materials and methods: In this cross-sectional study, were viewed the medical records of adult patientswho visited the ED of our hospital between May and August 2021 and needed IDCM consultation. The demographic data, the date and time of admission and consultation, the departments that were consultedbefore IDCM, laboratory results, diagnosis, and outcome were recorded.Results: Out of 42,116 ED visits, 1,007 (2.4%) IDCM consultations were requested. The median time between admission and IDCM consultation was 239 min (150.0–373.5). Before 56.9% of IDCM consultations,pre-consultations were requested from other departments, and the time interval was significantly longer.The median age of patients was 68 years (51–77years). Infections were confirmed by the IDCM physicianin 79.6% of the consultations. The most diagnosed infections were urinary tract infections (32.4%), skin-softtissue infections (16.9%) and lower respiratory tract infections (10.3%), whereas 9.3% of the consultationsresulted in hospitalization to the infection ward, 25.1% to other wards, and 5% to the intensive care unit (ICU).Conclusions: Two of 3 consultations resulted in hospitalization in other wards, and this shows that IDCMconsultations are beneficial for managing patients with infectious diseases hospitalized in other departments.Communication between IDCM specialists and ED colleagues is important, especially in the managementof elderly patients who require a multidisciplinary approach.