Cancer-related Emergency Department Visits: Comparing Characteristics and Outcomes.
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ABSTRACT: Introduction
There is increasing appreciation of the challenges of providing safe and appropriate care to cancer patients in the emergency department (ED). Our goal here was to assess which patient characteristics are associated with more frequent ED revisits.Methods
This was a retrospective cohort study of all ED visits in California during the 2016 calendar year using data from the California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development. We defined revisits as a return visit to an ED within seven days of the index visit. For both index and return visits, we assessed various patient characteristics, including age, cancer type, medical comorbidities, and ED disposition.Results
Among 12.9 million ED visits, we identified 73,465 adult cancer patients comprising 103,523 visits that met our inclusion criteria. Cancer patients had a 7-day revisit rate of 17.9% vs 13.2% for non-cancer patients. Cancer patients had a higher rate of admission upon 7-day revisit (36.7% vs 15.6%). Patients with cancers of the small intestine, stomach, and pancreas had the highest rate of 7-day revisits (22-24%). Cancer patients younger than 65 had a higher 7-day revisit rate than the elderly (20.0% vs 16.2%).Conclusion
In a review of all cancer-related ED visits in the state of California, we found a variety of characteristics associated with a higher rate of 7-day ED revisits. Our goal in this study was to inform future research to identify interventions on the index visit that may improve patient outcomes.
SUBMITTER: Nene RV
PROVIDER: S-EPMC8463053 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:BackgroundPeople with cancer experience symptoms related to the disease and treatments. Symptom distress has a negative impact on quality of life (QoL). Attending to symptoms and side effects of treatment promotes safe and effective delivery of therapies and may prevent or reduce emergency department visits (EDVs) and unplanned hospital admissions (HAs). There is limited evidence examining symptom-related EDVs or HAs (sx-EDV/HAs) and interventions in ambulatory oncology patients.ObjectiveTo examine factors associated with sx-EDV/HAs in ambulatory oncology patients receiving chemotherapy and/or radiation.MethodsThis secondary analysis used data from a randomized controlled trial of ambulatory oncology patients (n = 663) who received the web-based Electronic Self-Report Assessment – Cancer intervention (symptom self-monitoring, tailored education, and communication coaching) or usual care with symptom self-monitoring alone. Group differences were described by summary statistics and compared by t test. Factors associated with the odds of at least 1 sx-EDV/HA were modeled using logistic regression.Results98 patients had a total of 171 sx-EDV/HAs with no difference between groups. Higher odds of at least 1 sx-EDV/HA were associated with socioeconomic and clinical factors. The multivariable model indicated that work status, education level, treatment modality, and on-treatment Symptom Distress Scale-15 scores were signifcantly associated with having at least 1 sx-EDV/HA.LimitationsThis is a secondary analysis not sized to determine cause and effect. The results have limited generalizability.ConclusionMost patients did not experience a sx-EDV/HA. Demographic and clinical factors predicted a sx-EDV/HA.
| S-EPMC4849131 | biostudies-literature
Project description:STUDY OBJECTIVE:The frequency of antibiotic prescribing and types of antibiotics prescribed for dental conditions presenting to the emergency department (ED) is not well known. The objective of this study is to quantify how often and which dental diagnoses made in the ED resulted in an antibiotic prescription. METHODS:From 2011 to 2015, there were an estimated 2.2 million (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.9 to 2.5 million) ED visits per year for dental-related conditions, which accounted for 1.6% (95% CI 1.5% to 1.7%) of ED visits. This is based on an unweighted 2,125 observations from the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey in which a dental-related diagnosis was made. RESULTS:An antibiotic, most often a narrow-spectrum penicillin or clindamycin, was prescribed in 65% (95% CI 61% to 68%) of ED visits with any dental diagnosis. The most common dental diagnoses for all ages were unspecified disorder of the teeth and supporting structures (44%; 95% CI 41% to 48%; International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification[ICD-9-CM] code 525.9), periapical abscess without sinus (21%; 95% CI 18% to 25%; ICD-9-CM code 522.5), and dental caries (18%; 95% CI 15% to 22%; ICD-9-CM code 521.0). Recommended treatments for these conditions are usually dental procedures rather than antibiotics. CONCLUSION:The common use of antibiotics for dental conditions in the ED may indicate the need for greater access to both preventive and urgent care from dentists and other related specialists as well as the need for clearer clinical guidance and provider education related to oral infections.
| S-EPMC6943909 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The study aimed to investigate the prevalence of drug-related emergency department (ED) visits and associated risk factors. This retrospective cohort study was conducted in the ED, Diakonhjemmet Hospital, Oslo, Norway. From April 2017 to May 2018, 402 patients allocated to the intervention group in a randomized controlled trial were included in this sub-study. During their ED visit, these patients received medication reconciliation and medication review conducted by study pharmacists, in addition to standard care. Retrospectively, an interdisciplinary team assessed the reconciled drug list and identified drug-related issues alongside demographics, final diagnosis, and laboratory tests for all patients to determine whether their ED visit was drug-related. The study population's median age was 67 years (IQR 27, range 19-96), and patients used a median of 4 regular drugs (IQR 6, range 0-19). In total, 79 (19.7%) patients had a drug-related ED visits, and identified risk factors were increasing age, increasing number of regular drugs and medical referral reason. Adverse effects (72.2%) and non-adherence (16.5%) were the most common causes of drug-related ED visits. Antithrombotic agents were most frequently involved in drug-related ED visits, while immunosuppressants had the highest relative frequency. Only 11.4% of the identified drug-related ED visits were documented by physicians during ED/hospital stay. In the investigated population, 19.7% had a drug-related ED visit, indicating that drug-related ED visits are a major concern. If not recognized and handled, this could be a threat against patient safety. Identified risk factors can be used to identify patients in need of additional attention regarding their drug list during the ED visit.
| S-EPMC9352618 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundCannabis-related emergency department visits can be an entry point for youths to mental health and substance use care systems. We aimed to examine trends in cannabis-related emergency department visits as a function of youths' age and sex.MethodsUsing administrative data, we examined all visits to emergency departments in Ontario, Canada, from 2003 to 2017, by youth aged 10-24 years (grouped as 10-13, 14-18 and 19-24 yr) to determine trends in cannabis-related emergency department visits. Cannabis-related visits were identified using International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th Revision codes for cannabis poisoning and mental disorders due to cannabinoids. We categorized presentations as "less severe" versus "more severe" using scores assigned by nurses at triage.ResultsWe examined 14 697 778 emergency department visits. Cannabis-related visits increased from 3.8 per 10 000 youths (95% confidence interval [CI] 3.5-4.0) in 2003 to 17.9 (95% CI 17.4-18.4) in 2017, a 4.8-fold increase (95% CI 4.4-5.1). Rates increased for both sexes and each age group. Males were more likely to have a visit than females (rate ratios ≥ 1.5 in 2003 and 2017). The number of cannabis-related visits in 2017 was 25.0 per 10 000 (95% CI 24.0-25.9) among youth aged 19-24 years, 21.9 per 10 000 (95% CI 20.9-22.9) among those aged 14-18 years, and 0.8 per 10 000 (95% CI 0.5-1.0) among those aged 10-13 years. In 2017, 88.2% (95% CI 87.3%-89.0%) of cannabis-related visits and 58.1% (95% CI 58.0%-58.2%) of non-cannabis-related visits were triaged as "more severe," (rate ratio 1.52, 95% CI 1.50-1.53). Similarly, in 2017, 19.0% (95% CI 18.0%-20.1%) of cannabis-related visits and 5.8% (95% CI 5.7%-5.8%) of non-cannabis-related visits resulted in hospital admission (rate ratio 3.3, 95% CI 3.1-3.5).InterpretationRates of cannabis-related emergency department visit by youths aged 10-24 years increased almost fivefold from 2003 to 2017, with increases in visit severity and hospital admissions. These trends describe an emerging public health problem, and research is needed to identify the causes of this increase and the health and social consequences of cannabis-related visits for these youths.
| S-EPMC9259464 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BACKGROUND:Dietary supplements, such as herbal or complementary nutritional products and micronutrients (vitamins and minerals), are commonly used in the United States, yet national data on adverse effects are limited. METHODS:We used nationally representative surveillance data from 63 emergency departments obtained from 2004 through 2013 to describe visits to U.S. emergency departments because of adverse events related to dietary supplements. RESULTS:On the basis of 3667 cases, we estimated that 23,005 (95% confidence interval [CI], 18,611 to 27,398) emergency department visits per year were attributed to adverse events related to dietary supplements. These visits resulted in an estimated 2154 hospitalizations (95% CI, 1342 to 2967) annually. Such visits frequently involved young adults between the ages of 20 and 34 years (28.0% of visits; 95% CI, 25.1 to 30.8) and unsupervised children (21.2% of visits; 95% CI, 18.4 to 24.0). After the exclusion of unsupervised ingestion of dietary supplements by children, 65.9% (95% CI, 63.2 to 68.5) of emergency department visits for single-supplement-related adverse events involved herbal or complementary nutritional products; 31.8% (95% CI, 29.2 to 34.3) involved micronutrients. Herbal or complementary nutritional products for weight loss (25.5%; 95% CI, 23.1 to 27.9) and increased energy (10.0%; 95% CI, 8.0 to 11.9) were commonly implicated. Weight-loss or energy products caused 71.8% (95% CI, 67.6 to 76.1) of supplement-related adverse events involving palpitations, chest pain, or tachycardia, and 58.0% (95% CI, 52.2 to 63.7) involved persons 20 to 34 years of age. Among adults 65 years of age or older, choking or pill-induced dysphagia or globus caused 37.6% (95% CI, 29.1 to 46.2) of all emergency department visits for supplement-related adverse events; micronutrients were implicated in 83.1% (95% CI, 73.3 to 92.9) of these visits. CONCLUSIONS:An estimated 23,000 emergency department visits in the United States every year are attributed to adverse events related to dietary supplements. Such visits commonly involve cardiovascular manifestations from weight-loss or energy products among young adults and swallowing problems, often associated with micronutrients, among older adults. (Funded by the Department of Health and Human Services.).
| S-EPMC6196363 | biostudies-literature
Project description:IntroductionOn March 13, 2020, the U.S. declared COVID-19 to be a national emergency. As communities adopted mitigation strategies, there were potential changes in the trends of injuries treated in emergency department. This study provides national estimates of injury-related emergency department visits in the U.S. before and during the pandemic.MethodsA secondary retrospective cohort study was conducted using trained, on-site hospital coders collecting data for injury-related emergency department cases from medical records from a nationally representative sample of 66 U.S. hospital emergency departments. Injury emergency department visit estimates in the year before the pandemic (January 1, 2019-December 31, 2019) were compared with estimates of the year of pandemic declaration (January 1, 2020-December 31, 2020) for overall nonfatal injury-related emergency department visits, motor vehicle, falls-related, self-harm-, assault-related, and poisoning-related emergency department visits.ResultsThere was an estimated 1.7 million (25%) decrease in nonfatal injury-related emergency department visits during April through June 2020 compared with those of the same timeframe in 2019. Similar decreases were observed for emergency department visits because of motor vehicle‒related injuries (199,329; 23.3%) and falls-related injuries (497,971; 25.1%). Monthly 2020 estimates remained relatively in line with 2019 estimates for self-harm‒, assault-, and poisoning-related emergency department visits.ConclusionsThese findings provide updates for clinical and public health practitioners on the changing profile of injury-related emergency department visits during the COVID-19 pandemic. Understanding the short- and long-term impacts of the pandemic is important to preventing future injuries.
| S-EPMC8858709 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectivesDespite unregulated amphetamine use increasing, there are limited data on related emergency department (ED) visits in Canada. Our primary objective was to examine trends in amphetamine-related ED visits over time in Ontario, including by age and sex. Secondary objectives were to examine whether patient characteristics were associated with ED revisit within 6 months.MethodsUsing administrative claims and census data, we calculated annual patient- and encounter-based rates of amphetamine-related ED visits from 2003 to 2020 among individuals 18+ years of age. We also performed a retrospective cohort study of individuals with amphetamine-related ED visits between 2019 and 2020 to determine whether select factors were associated with ED revisit within 6 months. Multivariable logistic regression modelling was used to measure associations.ResultsThe population-based rate of amphetamine-related ED visits increased nearly 15-fold between 2003 (1.9/100,000 Ontarians) and 2020 (27.9/100,000 Ontarians). Seventy-five percent of individuals returned to the ED for any reason within 6 months. Psychosis and use of other substances were both independently associated with ED revisit for any reason within 6 months (psychosis: AOR = 1.54, 95% CI = 1.30-1.83; other substances: AOR = 1.84, 95% CI = 1.57-2.15), whereas having a primary care physician was negatively associated with ED revisit (AOR = 0.77, 95% CI = 0.60-0.98).ConclusionsIncreasing rates of amphetamine-related ED visits in Ontario are cause for concern. Diagnoses of psychosis and the use of other substances may serve to identify individuals who are most likely to benefit from both primary and substance-specific care.
| S-EPMC10590093 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Vaso-occlusive episodes (VOEs) are a hallmark of sickle cell disease (SCD), and account for >90% of health care encounters for this patient population. The Cooperative Study of Sickle Cell Disease, a large study enrolling >3000 patients, showed that the majority of SCD patients (80%) experienced 0-3 major pain crises/year. Only a small minority (~5%) experienced ≥6 VOEs/year. Our study sought to further understand this difference in VOE frequency between SCD patients. We analyzed 25 patients (13M/12F, mean age of 28.8) with ≥6 ED visits or hospitalizations/year (high utilizers), and compared these with 9 patients (6M/3F, mean age of 37.6) who had ≤2 ED visits or hospitalizations/year (low utilizers). All subjects were given a demographic survey along with questionnaires for depression, anxiety, and Health Locus of Control. Each subject then underwent quantitative sensory testing (QST) with three different modalities: pressure pain sensitivity, heat and cold sensitivity, and Von Frey monofilament testing. Laboratory and clinical data were collected through subjects' medical records. CBC and chemistry analysis showed high utilizers had higher WBC (p<0.01), ANC (p<0.01), total bilirubin (p = 0.02), and lower MCV (p = 0.03). Opioid use (morphine equivalents) over the past 6 months was significantly higher in the high utilizer group (12125.7 mg vs 2423.1 mg, p = 0.005). QST results showed lower pressure pain threshold at the ulna (224.4 KPa vs 338.9 KPa, p = 0.04) in the high utilizer group. High utilizers also had higher anxiety (9.0 vs 4.6, p = 0.04) and depression scores (10.0 vs 6.0, p = 0.051). While the low utilizer group had higher education levels with more associate and bachelor degrees (p = 0.009), there was no difference in income or employment. These data show that many biological and psychosocial factors contribute to high health care utilization in SCD. A multi-disciplinary and multi-faceted approach will be required to address this complex problem.
| S-EPMC7899345 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Although most research on infectious diseases (IDs) has focused on hospitalizations, this provides an incomplete picture of healthcare utilization. We describe the burden and epidemiologic features of ID-related emergency department (ED) visits among U.S. children.We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of the Nationwide Emergency Department Sample, a nationally representative sample of ED patients. We identified children who presented to the ED with a primary diagnosis of ID. Outcome measures were ID-related ED visits, hospitalizations through the ED and ED charges.During 2011, we identified 1,914,509 ID-related ED visits among U.S. children, corresponding to a weighted estimate of 8,524,357 ED visits. This accounted for 28% of all ED visits by children. The frequency of ID-related ED visits was 10,290 visits per 100,000 children. The most common diagnoses were upper respiratory infection (41%), otitis media (18%) and lower respiratory infection (14%). Overall, 62% of ID-related ED visits were made by children with Medicaid; 35% were by those in the lowest income quartile. Among the ID-related ED visits, 424,725 (5%) resulted in hospitalization, with 513 hospitalizations per 100,000 children. The most common reason for hospitalization was lower respiratory infection, which accounted for 40% of all ID-related hospitalizations from the ED. Median charge per ED visit was $718, with total annual charges of $9.6 billion.The public health burden of IDs, as measured by ED visits, subsequent hospitalizations and associated charges, was substantial. We also found that children with markers of lower socioeconomic status comprised a disproportionately high proportion of ID-related ED visits.
| S-EPMC4565505 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Since drug-related emergency department (ED) visits are common among older adults, the objectives of our study were to identify the frequency of drug-related problems (DRPs) among patients presenting to the ED with non-specific complaints (NSC), such as generalized weakness and to evaluate responsible drug classes.Delayed type cross-sectional diagnostic study with a prospective 30 day follow-up in the ED of the University Hospital Basel, Switzerland. From May 2007 until April 2009, all non-trauma patients presenting to the ED with an Emergency Severity Index (ESI) of 2 or 3 were screened and included, if they presented with non-specific complaints. After having obtained complete 30-day follow-up, two outcome assessors reviewed all available information, judged whether the initial presentation was a DRP and compared their judgment with the initial ED diagnosis. Acute morbidity ("serious condition") was allocated to individual cases according to predefined criteria.The study population consisted of 633 patients with NSC. Median age was 81 years (IQR 72/87), and the mean Charlson comorbidity index was 2.5 (IQR 1/4). DRPs were identified in 77 of the 633 cases (12.2%). At the initial assessment, only 40% of the DRPs were correctly identified. 64 of the 77 identified DRPs (83%) fulfilled the criteria "serious condition". Polypharmacy and certain drug classes (thiazides, antidepressants, benzodiazepines, anticonvulsants) were associated with DRPs.Elderly patients with non-specific complaints need to be screened systematically for drug-related problems.ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT00920491.
| S-EPMC3601989 | biostudies-other