Non-urgent encounters in a Swiss medical emergency unit.

Background: Emergency department crowding is a growing international problem. One possible reason for crowding might be the rising number of "walk-in" patients presenting with "non-urgent" health complaints.

Methods: In a retrospective cohort study in adult medical patients presenting to the emergency unit of the University Hospital Zurich, we determined the frequency of "non-urgent" encounters, examined patient characteristics predictive for such encounters, and explored the impact of a simple, non-validated triage tool on diverting "non-urgent" cases to alternate sites of primary care.

Chronic GM1 gangliosidosis presenting as dystonia: clinical and biochemical studies in a new case.

Clinical and biochemical findings in a patient affected by chronic GM1 gangliosidosis, presenting as progressive dystonia and mental deterioration, are reported. The patient, a 13-year-old male, showed, at the age of 3 years, an impairment of gait with frequent falls, dysarthria and stuttering. At the age of 6, writing dystonia appeared and subsequently mental deterioration and dystonic postures of arms and legs became evident.