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Emergency: America

BMJ 2004; 329 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/sbmj.0411428 (Published 01 November 2004) Cite this as: BMJ 2004;329:0411428
  1. Oveys Mansuri, fourth year medical student1
  1. 1University of Illinois College of Medicine

US medical student Oveys Mansuri has been fortunate enough to train in a newly refurbished emergency department. So, too, have Nigerian students, Chibuzo Odigwe and Seye Abimbola. Their situations are, however, quite different

Emergency departments in the US face varying newspaper headlines reading “Emergency rooms are seeing more patients than ever before” and “Emergency rooms in the red.”

ELAINE THOMPSON/AP

According to the American College of Emergency Physicians, from 1997 to 2002 the number of emergency departments in the United States decreased from 4270 to 4037 while the number of visits increased 17% from 97 million to more than 114 million. Emergency departments in the United States struggle to find a balance between supply, demand, and financial viability, as they also realise their new role as the primary …

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