Demand profile of a casualty yard in a countryside city of São Paulo state

Abstract

The aim of this study was to characterize the population demand for health services in the Emergency Room hos- pital of Capão Bonito city, São Paulo, Brazil seeking to identify the main medical reasons that cause the user’s query to the service. A cross-sectional epidemiological survey was conducted using a questionnaire adminis- tered to 668 individuals who sought treatment for a seven days period. Methods: The research instrument sought to identify sex, age, the model of health care, the present occupation, city of residence, the presence of associated diseases and the user’s main complaint. Results: The results showed greater demand made by females (54.34%) aged 18-29 years (25.30%). Most of the users were resident in Capão Bonito city (87.12%) and use public assistance through the SUS (97,71%); 76.35% reported not having diseases associated with the main reason for seeking health care. Conclusions: Emergency services provision was mostly directed to acute act complaint from users, not expanding the at- tention focus for a medical history