Emergency Services Utilization and Hospital Bed Management in Costa Rica: A Review.

Abstract

The emergency services in Costa Rica's national hospitals are experiencing significant saturation, leading to increased patient observation times, extended hospital stays, and inefficient hospital bed management. This review examines national emergency service data from 2023, focusing on three major hospitals: Hospital Rafael Ángel Calderón Guardia, Hospital San Juan de Dios, and Hospital México. The analysis highlights the burden of non-urgent emergency visits, prolonged hospital stays, and the impact of high-burden conditions such as malignancies, circulatory diseases, and trauma on hospital bed turnover. International comparisons are presented, and recommendations for systemic improvements are proposed.