Unplanned emergency department revisits within 72 hours to a secondary teaching referral hospital in Taiwan.

Background: When patients return to the emergency department (ED) shortly after being seen, it is generally assumed that their initial evaluation or treatment was inadequate.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine the rates and causes of revisits to the ED of a 710-bed secondary teaching referral hospital (Kuang Tien General Hospital), to identify areas for improvement, and to define the initial ED presentations that are associated with such revisits.

Methods: The study period was from January 1, 2006 to December 31, 2006.