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Table 1 Demographic characteristics of patients in the ED during the study period and distribution of colour codesa

From: Do health care professionals’ perceptions help to measure the degree of overcrowding in the emergency department? A pilot study in an Italian University hospital

  

Patients

 

n (%)

2298

Gender

female

1119 (48.7)

 

male

1179 (51.3)

Age (yrs.)

mean (±SD)

61 (22)

 

female

63 (22)

 

male

59 (21)

Colour code

n (%)

 
 

red

87 (3.8)

 

yellow

820 (35.7)

 

green

1306 (56.8)

 

white

85 (3.7)

  1. aThe colour code is given to establish the priority of access to treatment based on the seriousness of the case. Red code: very critical, danger of death, maximum priority, immediate access to treatment; yellow code: fairly critical, high level of risk, potential danger of death; treatment cannot be delayed; green code: not very critical, no risk of condition worsening, treatment can be delayed; white code: not critical, not serious and/or not acute