Characteristics and outcomes of older patients attending the emergency department at an academic university hospital

Year 2019, Volume: 41 Issue: 2, 413 - 422, 30.06.2019

Yusuf Kenan Tekin Erdal Demirtaş Naim Nur İlhan Korkmaz

https://doi.org/10.7197/223.vi.571281

Abstract

Objective: Because older populations have been increased
significantly over the last decades globally, emergency departments (ED) have
become a vital place in the care of older patients. Characterizing the usage of
the ED by older patients will facilitate the qualifying planning activities in
emergency care delivery.

Method: The retrospective data were extracted from a database
and included all patients, aged 65 years or over, admitted to the ED between 1
January 2017- 31 December 2017.

Results: The rate of ED visits
accounted for 16.1%. A large majority of the ED visits were during the day
shift (49.6 %), and in summer months (June-August 28.7 %). The most common
diagnoses (18.4%) were cardiovascular conditions. A large majority (67.8%) of
ED visits involved diagnostic imaging and nearly half (46.7%) of them received
consultation services. Nearly one-third (31.3%) of older patients were admitted
to hospital following their ED visit. Hospital admission, length of stay in ED,
having consulting service, involving some kind of diagnostic imaging and being
triaged as urgent/emergent are more likely to be increased with age group.

Conclusions:
ED visits increase with age and also
the resource use intensity of the ED, including the length of stay, diagnostic
imaging, consultation and admission to the hospital after an ED visit appears
to increase with ageing. Patterns of the ED usage were described in this study
may be helpful in resource planning, or may provide an approach for the future
the investigation involving improved or alternative care options for the older
patient.

Keywords

Emergency service, geriatric patients

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