January 17, 2013

Kingaroy Hospital staff may have been run off their feet over Christmas … but at least they had a bit of variety as to the types of patients they were treating.

Out of the 771 presentations made over the holiday break, the top five primary diagnoses were Upper Respiratory Tract Infection (4 per cent), dressing changes (3 per cent), administration of medication (3 per cent), tonsilitis (3 per cent) and viral infection (2 per cent).

A spokesman for the Darling Downs Hospital and Health region said the percentage of presentations were not huge on the overall presentations, ie there was no common problem.

However between Christmas and New Year (December 24 to January 1), the presentations were doubled from the same time last year.

“GP practices were closed between Christmas and New Year,” she said.

“Some practices had an after hours arrangements place whilst other directed their patients to the hospital.”