scholarly journals Associations between meteorological factors and emergency department visits for unintentional falls during Ontario winters

2021 ◽  
Vol 41 (12) ◽  
pp. 401-412
Author(s):  
David Huynh ◽  
Caleigh Tracy ◽  
Wendy Thompson ◽  
Felix Bang ◽  
Steven R. McFaull ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Meteorological Factors ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Logistic Models ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Emergency Department Visits ◽  
Falls Prevention ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Ed Visits ◽  
Unintentional Falls

Introduction Unintentional falls are a leading cause of injury-related hospital visits among Canadians, especially seniors. While certain meteorological conditions are suspected risk factors for fall-related injuries, few studies have quantified these associations across a wider range of age groups and with population-based datasets. Methods We applied a time-stratified case-crossover study design to characterize associations of highly-spatially-resolved meteorological factors and emergency department (ED) visits for falls, in Ontario, among those aged 5 years and older during the winter months (November to March) between 2011 and 2015. Conditional logistic models were used to estimate the odds ratios (ORs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for these visits in relation to daily snowfall accumulation, including single-day lags of up to one week before the visit, and daily mean temperature on the day of the visit. Analyses were stratified by age and sex. Results We identified 761 853 fall-related ED visits. The odds for these visits was increased for most days up to a week after a snowfall of 0.2 cm or greater (OR = 1.05–1.08) compared to days with no snowfall. This association was strongest among adults aged 30 to 64 years (OR = 1.16–1.19). The OR for fall-related ED visits on cold days (less than −9.4 °C) was reduced by 0.05 relative to days with an average daily temperature of 3.0 °C or higher (OR = 0.95; 95% CI: 0.94, 0.96), and this pattern was evident across all ages. There were no substantive differences in the strength of this association by sex. Conclusion Snowfall and warmer winter temperatures were associated with an increased risk of fall-related ED visits during Ontario winters. These findings are relevant for developing falls prevention strategies and ensuring timely treatment.

scholarly journals Frequent Emergency Department Visits After Spontaneous Intracerebral Hemorrhage: Who Is at Risk?

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 166-170
Author(s):  
Jerina Nogueira ◽  
Pedro Abreu ◽  
Patrícia Guilherme ◽  
Ana Catarina Félix ◽  
Fátima Ferreira ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Emergency Department ◽  
Intracerebral Hemorrhage ◽  
Hospital Discharge ◽  
Transitional Care ◽  
Neurological Impairment ◽  
Emergency Department Visits ◽  
Spontaneous Intracerebral Hemorrhage ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Ed Visits

Background: The long-term prognosis of spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (SICH) is poor. Frequent emergency department (ED) visits can signal increased risk of hospitalization and death. There are no studies describing the risk of frequent ED visits after SICH. Methods: Retrospective cohort study of a community representative consecutive SICH survivors (2009-2015) from southern Portugal. Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify sociodemographic and clinical factors associated with frequent ED visits (≥4 visits) within the first year after hospital discharge. Results: A total of 360 SICH survivors were identified, 358 (98.6%) of whom were followed. The median age was 72; 64% were males. The majority of survivors (n = 194, 54.2%) had at least 1 ED visit. Reasons for ED visits included infections, falls with trauma, and isolated neurological symptoms. Forty-four (12.3%) SICH survivors became frequent ED visitors. Frequent ED visitors were older and had more hospitalizations ( P < .001) and ED visits ( P < .001) prior to the SICH, unhealthy alcohol use ( P = .049), longer period of index SICH hospitalization ( P = .032), pneumonia during hospitalization ( P = .001), and severe neurological impairment at discharge ( P = .001). Pneumonia during index hospitalization (odds ratio [OR]: 3.08; confidence interval [CI]: 1.39-6.76; P = .005) and history of ED visits prior to SICH (OR: 1.64; CI: 1.19-2.26, P = .003) increased the likelihood of becoming a frequent ED visitor. Conclusions: Predictors of frequent ED visits are identifiable at hospital discharge and during any ED visit. Improvement of transitional care and identification of at-risk patients may help reduce multiple ED visits.

scholarly journals Hospitalizations and Emergency Department Visits for TBI in Ontario

2010 ◽  
Vol 37 (6) ◽  
pp. 783-790 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angela Colantonio ◽  
Cristina Saverino ◽  
Brandon Zagorski ◽  
Bonnie Swaine ◽  
John Lewko ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Traumatic Brain Injury ◽  
Emergency Department ◽  
Brain Injury ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
National Registry ◽  
Emergency Department Visits ◽  
Elderly Persons ◽  
Discharge Abstract Database ◽  
Episodes Of Care ◽  
Ed Visits

AbstractObjective:The aim of this study was to determine the number of annual hospitalizations and overall episodes of care that involve a traumatic brain injury (TBI) by age and gender in the province of Ontario. To provide a more accurate assessment of the prevalence of TBI, episodes of care included visits to the emergency department (ED), as well as admissions to hospital. Mechanisms of injury for overall episodes were also investigated.Methods:Traumatic brain injury cases from fiscal years 2002/03-2006/07 were identified by means of ICD-10 codes. Data were collected from the National Ambulatory Care Reporting System and the Discharge Abstract Database.Results:The rate of hospitalization was highest for elderly persons over 75 years-of-age. Males generally had higher rates for both hospitalizations and episodes of care than did females. The inclusion of ED visits to hospitalizations had the greatest impact on the rates of TBI in the youngest age groups. Episodes of care for TBI were greatest in youth under the age of 14 and elderly over the age of 85. Falls (41.6%) and being struck by or against an object (31.1%) were the most frequent causes for a TBI.Conclusions:The study provides estimates for TBI from the only Canadian province that has systematically captured ED visits in a national registry. It shows the importance of tracking ED visits, in addition to hospitalizations, to capture the burden of TBI on the health care system. Prevention strategies should include information on ED visits, particularly for those at younger ages.

scholarly journals Monitoring Sexual Violence Trends in Emergency Department Visits Using Syndromic Data From the National Syndromic Surveillance Program—United States, January 2017–December 2019

2021 ◽  
Vol 111 (3) ◽  
pp. 485-493
Author(s):  
Ashley Schappell D'Inverno ◽  
Nimi Idaikkadar ◽  
Debra Houry
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Emergency Department ◽  
Sexual Violence ◽  
Syndromic Surveillance ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
The United States ◽  
Emergency Department Visits ◽  
Surveillance Program ◽  
Time Period ◽  
Ed Visits

Objectives. To report trends in sexual violence (SV) emergency department (ED) visits in the United States. Methods. We analyzed monthly changes in SV rates (per 100 000 ED visits) from January 2017 to December 2019 using Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Syndromic Surveillance Program data. We stratified the data by sex and age groups. Results. There were 196 948 SV-related ED visits from January 2017 to December 2019. Females had higher rates of SV-related ED visits than males. Across the entire time period, females aged 50 to 59 years showed the highest increase (57.33%) in SV-related ED visits, when stratified by sex and age group. In all strata examined, SV-related ED visits displayed positive trends from January 2017 to December 2019; 10 out of the 24 observed positive trends were statistically significant increases. We also observed seasonal trends with spikes in SV-related ED visits during warmer months and declines during colder months, particularly in ages 0 to 9 years and 10 to 19 years. Conclusions. We identified several significant increases in SV-related ED visits from January 2017 to December 2019. Syndromic surveillance offers near-real-time surveillance of ED visits and can aid in the prevention of SV.

scholarly journals The impact of COVID-19 on hospital admissions and emergency department visits: A population-based study

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (6) ◽  
pp. e0252441
Author(s):  
Elissa Rennert-May ◽  
Jenine Leal ◽  
Nguyen Xuan Thanh ◽  
Eddy Lang ◽  
Shawn Dowling ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Emergency Department ◽  
Hospital Admissions ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Emergency Department Visits ◽  
System Capacity ◽  
Population Based Study ◽  
Health Measures ◽  
Ed Visits ◽  
The Impact

Background As a result of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), there have been widespread changes in healthcare access. We conducted a retrospective population-based study in Alberta, Canada (population 4.4 million), where there have been approximately 1550 hospital admissions for COVID-19, to determine the impact of COVID-19 on hospital admissions and emergency department (ED visits), following initiation of a public health emergency act on March 15, 2020. Methods We used multivariable negative binomial regression models to compare daily numbers of medical/surgical hospital admissions via the ED between March 16-September 23, 2019 (pre COVID-19) and March 16-September 23, 2020 (post COVID-19 public health measures). We compared the most frequent diagnoses for hospital admissions pre/post COVID-19 public health measures. A similar analysis was completed for numbers of daily ED visits for any reason with a particular focus on ambulatory care sensitive conditions (ACSC). Findings There was a significant reduction in both daily medical (incident rate ratio (IRR) 0.86, p<0.001) and surgical (IRR 0.82, p<0.001) admissions through the ED in Alberta post COVID-19 public health measures. There was a significant decline in daily ED visits (IRR 0.65, p<0.001) including ACSC (IRR 0.75, p<0.001). The most common medical/surgical diagnoses for hospital admissions did not vary substantially pre and post COVID-19 public health measures, though there was a significant reduction in admissions for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and a significant increase in admissions for mental and behavioral disorders due to use of alcohol. Conclusions Despite a relatively low volume of COVID-19 hospital admissions in Alberta, there was an extensive impact on our healthcare system with fewer admissions to hospital and ED visits. This work generates hypotheses around causes for reduced hospital admissions and ED visits which warrant further investigation. As most publicly funded health systems struggle with health-system capacity routinely, understanding how these reductions can be safely sustained will be critical.

scholarly journals Drinking water residence time in distribution networks and emergency department visits for gastrointestinal illness in Metro Atlanta, Georgia

2009 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 332-343 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah C. Tinker ◽  
Christine L. Moe ◽  
Mitchel Klein ◽  
W. Dana Flanders ◽  
Jim Uber ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Drinking Water ◽  
Residence Time ◽  
Distribution Networks ◽  
Emergency Department Visits ◽  
Residence Times ◽  
Water Residence Time ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Ed Visits ◽  
Zip Code

We examined whether the average water residence time, the time it takes water to travel from the treatment plant to the user, for a zip code was related to the proportion of emergency department (ED) visits for gastrointestinal (GI) illness among residents of that zip code. Individual-level ED data were collected from all hospitals located in the five-county metro Atlanta area from 1993 to 2004. Two of the largest water utilities in the area, together serving 1.7 million people, were considered. People served by these utilities had almost 3 million total ED visits, 164,937 of them for GI illness. The relationship between water residence time and risk for GI illness was assessed using logistic regression, controlling for potential confounding factors, including patient age and markers of socioeconomic status (SES). We observed a modestly increased risk for GI illness for residents of zip codes with the longest water residence times compared with intermediate residence times (odds ratio (OR) for Utility 1 = 1.07, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.03, 1.10; OR for Utility 2 = 1.05, 95% CI = 1.02, 1.08). The results suggest that drinking water contamination in the distribution system may contribute to the burden of endemic GI illness.

scholarly journals Lifetime costs of traumatic brain injury identified in the emergency department in Ontario

2015 ◽  
Vol 42 (S1) ◽  
pp. S39-S39
Author(s):  
T Fu ◽  
R Jing ◽  
M Cusimano
Keyword(s):  
Traumatic Brain Injury ◽  
Emergency Department ◽  
Brain Injury ◽  
Economic Burden ◽  
Motor Vehicle ◽  
Productivity Loss ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Lifetime Costs ◽  
Ed Visits

Background: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of death and disability, yet there is limited research on its economic burden. We estimated the incidence and lifetime costs of TBI identified in the Emergency Department (ED) in Ontario, Canada between April 2009 and March 2010. Methods: ED visits for TBI were identified using a population-based database that is mandatory for ambulatory care facilities in Ontario. The authors calculated unit costs for medical treatment and productivity loss, and multiplied these by incidence estimates to determine the lifetime costs of identified TBI cases. Results: In 2009, there were over 133,000 ED visits for TBI in Ontario, resulting in a conservative estimate of $945 million in total lifetime costs. Costs were greater for males than females across nearly all age groups, with males incurring two-fold higher costs overall. Together, falls ($407 million), struck by/against ($309 million), and motor vehicle injuries ($161 million) represented 93% of lifetime costs associated with TBI. Conclusions: This study revealed a high incidence and economic burden associated with TBI identified in the ED. More research is needed to fully appreciate the burden of TBI across a variety of healthcare settings.

Emergency department visits during the 4/20 cannabis celebration

2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (4) ◽  
pp. 187-192
Author(s):  
John A Staples ◽  
Ketki Merchant ◽  
Shannon Erdelyi ◽  
Adam Lund ◽  
Jeffrey R Brubacher
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Negative Binomial ◽  
Care Service ◽  
Negative Binomial Regression ◽  
Fold Increase ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Service Planning ◽  
Emergency Department Visits ◽  
Adjusted Relative Risk ◽  
Ed Visits

BackgroundAnnual ‘4/20’ cannabis festivals occur around the world on April 20 and often feature synchronised consumption of cannabis at 4:20 pm. The relationship between these events and demand for emergency medical services has not been systematically studied.MethodsWe conducted a population-based retrospective cohort study in Vancouver, Canada, using 10 consecutive years of data (2009–2018) from six regional hospitals. The number of emergency department (ED) visits between 4:20 pm and 11:59 pm on April 20 were compared with the number of visits during identical time intervals on control days 1 week earlier and 1 week later (ie, April 13 and April 27) using negative binomial regression.ResultsA total of 3468 ED visits occurred on April 20 and 6524 ED visits occurred on control days. A non-significant increase in all-cause ED visits was observed on April 20 (adjusted relative risk: 1.06; 95% CI 1.00 to 1.12). April 20 was associated with a significant increase in ED visits among prespecified subgroups including a 5-fold increase in visits for substance misuse and a 10-fold increase in visits for intoxication. The hospital closest to the festival site experienced a clinically and statistically significant 17% (95% CI 5.1% to 29.6%) relative increase in ED visits on April 20 compared with control days.InterpretationSubstance use at annual ‘4/20’ festivals may be associated with an increase in ED visits among key subgroups and at nearby hospitals. These findings may inform harm reduction initiatives and festival medical care service planning.

Documentation of Firearm Safety Screening During Emergency Department Visits for Assault-Related Injury

2021 ◽  
pp. 152483992110293
Author(s):  
Lauren B. Mulcahy ◽  
Monika K. Goyal ◽  
Joanna Cohen
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Retrospective Chart Review ◽  
High Risk Group ◽  
Emergency Department Visits ◽  
Washington Dc ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Icd 10 ◽  
Ed Visits ◽  
Firearm Safety

Assault-injured youth have an increased risk of future violence. Identifying firearm access among youth in the emergency department (ED) creates an opportunity for interventions aimed at reducing future violent events. We performed this study to determine the extent to which children with assault-related injuries are screened for access to firearms in the ED. We performed a retrospective chart review of all medical records from adolescent ED visits to an academic, tertiary care pediatric hospital in Washington DC with ICD-10 codes related to assault in a 3-month period. We found that among 252 assault-related encounters, none had any documentation of firearm access in the provider note, social work note, or psychiatry consultant note. Therefore, we concluded that firearm access screening is rarely documented in ED visits among patients who present for an assault, highlighting an important missed opportunity for firearm access screening among this high-risk group.

scholarly journals Enhanced Surveillance of Nonfatal Emergency Department Opioid Overdoses in California

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Natalie Demeter ◽  
Jaynia Angela Anderson ◽  
Mar-y-sol Pasquires ◽  
Stephen Wirtz
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Drug Overdose ◽  
Health Planning ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Emergency Department Visits ◽  
Public Health Issue ◽  
Opioid Overdose ◽  
Heroin Overdose ◽  
Drug Overdoses ◽  
Ed Visits

ObjectiveTo track and monitor nonfatal emergency department opioid overdoses in California for use in the statewide response in the opioid epidemic.IntroductionThe opioid epidemic is a multifaceted public health issue that requires a coordinated and dynamic response to address the ongoing changes in the trends of opioid overdoses. Access to timely and accurate data allows more targeted and effective programs and policies to prevent and reduce fatal and nonfatal drug overdoses in California. As a part of a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Enhanced State Opioid Overdose Surveillance grant, the goals of this surveillance are to more rapidly identify changes in trends of nonfatal drug overdose, opioid overdose, and heroin overdose emergency department visits; identify demographic groups or areas within California that are experiencing these changes; and to provide these data and trends to state and local partners addressing the opioid crisis throughout California. Emergency department (ED) visit data are analyzed on an ongoing quarterly basis to monitor the proportion of all ED visits that are attributed to nonfatal drug, opioid, and heroin overdoses as a portion of the statewide opioid overdose surveillance.MethodsCalifornia emergency department data were obtained from the California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development. Data were (and continue to be) analyzed by quarter as the data become available, starting in quarter 1 (Q1) 2016 through Q1 2018. Quarters were defined as standard calendar quarters; January-March (Q1), April-June (Q2), July-September (Q3), and October-December (Q4). Counts of nonfatal ED visits for all drug overdoses, all opioid overdoses, and heroin overdoses were defined by the following ICD-10 codes in the principle diagnosis or external cause of injury fields respectively; T36X-T50X (all drug), T40.0X-T40.4X T40.6 and T40.69 (all opioid), and T40.1X (heroin). Eligible ED visits were limited to CA residents, patients greater than 10 years of age, initial encounters, and were classified as unintentional overdoses or overdoses of undetermined intent. Overdose ED visits are described by quarter, drug, sex, and age for Q1 2016 – Q1 2018.ResultsOn average, 6,450 emergency department visits in California are attributed to drug overdose every quarter. Between Q1 2016 and Q1 2018, on average 1,785 (range: 1,559-2,011 ED visits) of those visits were due to opioid overdoses and a further 924 (52%) of those ED visits were due to heroin overdoses. About 26-30% of all drug overdose ED visits were for opioid overdoses in California during Q1 2016 – Q1 2018. Quarterly, that is around 6.00-7.64 opioid overdose ED visits for every 10,000 ED visits (Table 1), with about half those (3.09-4.30 ED visits) being heroin overdose ED visits. Males accounted for approximately 52% of all drug overdose ED visits, 65% of all opioid overdose ED visits, and 76% of all heroin overdose ED visits per quarter. Across all quarters, 25-34 year olds had the highest proportion of emergency department visits attributed to opioid and heroin overdose compared to all other age groups. However, 11-24 year olds had the highest proportion of emergency department visits attributed to all drug overdoses compared to all other age groups for all quarters except one. Between Q1 2016 and Q1 2018, the proportion of emergency department visits attributed to all drug overdoses increased by 1.8%, all opioid overdoses increased 3.1%, and heroin overdoses increased by 13.5%.ConclusionsOverall trends for the proportion of all emergency department visits for all drug overdoses and all opioid overdoses are relatively stable over this time period, however the proportion of heroin overdose ED visits shows a more substantial increase between Q1 2016 and Q1 2018. In addition, heroin overdose ED visits account for over half of all opioid overdose ED visits during this time in California. Ongoing surveillance of drug, opioid, and heroin overdose ED visits is a crucial component of assessing and responding to the opioid overdose crisis in California and helps to better understand the demographics of those who could be at risk of a future fatal opioid overdose. Timely data such as these (in addition to prescribing, hospitalization, and death data) can inform local and statewide efforts to reduce opioid overdoses and deaths. 

scholarly journals Trends in inpatient admissions and emergency department visits for heart failure in adults with versus without diabetes in the USA, 2006–2017

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. e002377
Author(s):  
Jessica L Harding ◽  
Stephen R Benoit ◽  
Israel Hora ◽  
Lakshmi Sridharan ◽  
Mohammed K Ali ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heart Failure ◽  
Emergency Department ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Emergency Department Visits ◽  
Annual Percent Change ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Diabetes Status ◽  
Cardiovascular Morbidity And Mortality ◽  
Ed Visits

IntroductionHeart failure (HF) is a major contributor to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in people with diabetes. In this study, we estimated trends in the incidence of HF inpatient admissions and emergency department (ED) visits by diabetes status.Research design and methodsPopulation-based age-standardized HF rates in adults with and without diabetes were estimated from the 2006–2017 National Inpatient Sample, Nationwide ED Sample and year-matched National Health Interview Survey, and stratified by age and sex. Trends were assessed using Joinpoint.ResultsHF inpatient admissions did not change in adults with diabetes between 2006 and 2013 (from 53.9 to 50.4 per 1000 persons; annual percent change (APC): −0.3 (95% CI −2.5 to 1.9) but increased from 50.4 to 62.3 between 2013 and 2017 (APC: 4.8 (95% CI 0.3 to 9.6)). In adults without diabetes, inpatient admissions initially declined (from 14.8 in 2006 to 12.9 in 2014; APC −2.3 (95% CI −3.2 to –1.2)) and then plateaued. Patterns were similar in men and women, but relative increases were greatest in young adults with diabetes. HF-related ED visits increased overall, in men and women, and in all age groups, but increases were greater in adults with (vs without) diabetes.ConclusionsCauses of increased HF rates in hospital settings are unknown, and more detailed data are needed to investigate the aetiology and determine prevention strategies, particularly among adults with diabetes and especially young adults with diabetes.

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