Internet searches and heat-related emergency department visits in the United States.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Adams QH
PROVIDER: S-EPMC9156736 | biostudies-literature | 2022 May
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Publications
Internet searches and heat-related emergency department visits in the United States.
Adams Quinn H QH Sun Yuantong Y Sun Shengzhi S Wellenius Gregory A GA
Scientific reports 20220531 1
Emerging research suggests that internet search patterns may provide timely, actionable insights into adverse health impacts from, and behavioral responses to, days of extreme heat, but few studies have evaluated this hypothesis, and none have done so across the United States. We used two-stage distributed lag nonlinear models to quantify the interrelationships between daily maximum ambient temperature, internet search activity as measured by Google Trends, and heat-related emergency department ...[more]
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| S-EPMC4808374 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundMedication poisoning is a common form of self-harm injury, and increases in injuries due to self-harm, including suicide attempts, have been reported over the last two decades.MethodsCross-sectional (2016-2019) data from 60 emergency departments (EDs) participating in an active, nationally representative public health surveillance system were analysed and US national estimates of ED visits for medication-related self-harm injuries were calculated.ResultsBased on 18 074 surveillance cases, there were an estimated 269 198 (95% CI 222 059 to 316 337) ED visits for medication-related self-harm injuries annually in 2016-2019 compared with 1 404 090 visits annually from therapeutic use of medications. Population rates of medication-related self-harm ED visits were highest among persons aged 11-19 years (58.5 (95% CI 45.0 to 72.0) per 10 000) and lowest among those aged ≥65 years (6.6 (95% CI 4.4 to 8.8) per 10 000). Among persons aged 11-19 years, the ED visit rate for females was four times that for males (95.4 (95% CI 74.2 to 116.7) vs 23.0 (95% CI 16.4 to 29.6) per 10 000). Medical or psychiatric admission was required for three-quarters (75.1%; 95% CI 70.0% to 80.2%) of visits. Concurrent use of alcohol or illicit substances was documented in 40.2% (95% CI 36.8% to 43.7%) of visits, and multiple medication products were implicated in 38.6% (95% CI 36.8% to 40.4%). The most frequently implicated medication categories varied by patient age.ConclusionsMedication-related self-harm injuries are an important contributor to the overall burden of ED visits and hospitalisations for medication-related harm, with the highest rates among adolescent and young adult females. These findings support continued prevention efforts targeting patients at risk of self-harm.
| S-EPMC10249045 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundThe United States (US) leads all high-income countries in gunshot wound (GSW) deaths. However, previous US studies have not evaluated the national blood transfusion utilization patterns in hospitalized GSW patients.MethodsData from 2016 to 2017 were analyzed from the Nationwide Emergency Department Sample (NEDS) and Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS), the largest all-payer emergency department (ED) and inpatient databases, respectively. Using stratified probability sampling, weights were applied to generate nationally representative estimates. Multivariable Poisson-regression models were used to estimate prevalence ratios (PR) of blood transfusion.ResultsThere were 168,315 ED visits and 58,815 hospitalizations (age = 18-90 years) following a GSW. The majority of hospitalizations were men (88.5%), age 18-24 years (31.8%), and assault-related GSW (51.3%). Blacks had the largest proportion (48.7%) overall of all GSW hospitalizations; Whites accounted for the highest proportion of intentional self-harm injuries (72.4%). Blood transfusions occurred in 12.7% of hospitalizations (12.0% red blood cell [RBC], 4.9% plasma, and 2.5% platelet transfusions). Only 1.9% of cases were associated with transfusion of all three blood components. Hospitalizations with major/extreme severity of illness had significantly higher prevalence of transfusion versus those with mild/moderate severity [crude PR = 4.79 (95%CI:4.15-5.33, p < .001)]. Overall, 8.2% of hospitalizations with GSW died, of whom 26.8% required blood transfusions, which was significantly higher than survivors [crude PR = 2.34 (95%CI:2.10-2.61, p < .001)]. The vast majority (95%) of the transfusions among those who died were within 48 h since admission.ConclusionsGun-related violence is a public health emergency in the US, and GSWs are a source of significant mortality, blood utilization, and health care costs.
| S-EPMC8366522 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundFor a number of fiscal and practical reasons, data on heroin use have been of poor quality, which has hampered the ability to halt the growing epidemic. Internet search data, such as those made available by Google Trends, have been used as a low-cost, real-time data source for monitoring and predicting a variety of public health outcomes. We aimed to determine whether data on opioid-related internet searches might predict future heroin-related admissions to emergency departments (ED).MethodsAcross nine metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) in the United States, we obtained data on Google searches for prescription and non-prescription opioids, as well as Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) data on heroin-related ED visits from 2004 to 2011. A linear mixed model assessed the relationship between opioid-related Internet searches and following year heroin-related visits, controlling for MSA GINI index and total number of ED visits.ResultsThe best-fitting model explained 72% of the variance in heroin-related ED visits. The final model included the search keywords "Avinza," "Brown Sugar," "China White," "Codeine," "Kadian," "Methadone," and "Oxymorphone." We found regional differences in where and how people searched for opioid-related information.ConclusionsInternet search-based modeling should be explored as a new source of insights for predicting heroin-related admissions. In geographic regions where no current heroin-related data exist, Internet search modeling might be a particularly valuable and inexpensive tool for estimating changing heroin use trends. We discuss the immediate implications for using this approach to assist in managing opioid-related morbidity and mortality in the United States.
| S-EPMC6436381 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectivesIn the United States the percentage of Medicaid enrollees in some form of Medicaid managed care has increased more than seven-fold since 1990, e.g., up from 11% in 1991 to 82% in 2017. Yet little is known about whether and how this major change in Medicaid insurance affects how recipients use hospital emergency rooms. This study compares the performance of Medicaid health maintenance organizations (HMOs) and fee-for-service (FFS) Medicaid regarding the occurrence of potentially preventable emergency department (ED) use.MethodsUsing data from the 2003-2015 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), a nationally representative survey of the non-institutionalized US population, we estimated multivariable logistic regression models to examine the relationship between Medicaid HMO status and potentially preventable ED use. To accommodate the composition of the Medicaid population, we conducted separate repeated cross-sectional analyses for recipients insured through both Medicaid and Medicare (dual eligibles) and for those insured through Medicaid only (non-duals). We explicitly addressed the possibility of selection bias into HMOs in our models using propensity score weighting.ResultsWe found that the type of Medicaid held by a recipient, i.e., whether an HMO or FFS coverage, was unrelated to the probability that an ED visit was potentially preventable. This finding emerged both among dual eligibles and among non-duals, and it occurred irrespective of the adopted analytical strategy.ConclusionsWithin the U.S. Medicaid program, Medicaid HMO and FFS enrollees are indistinguishable in terms of the occurrence of potentially preventable ED use. Policymakers should consider this finding when evaluating the pros and cons of adopting Medicaid managed care.
| S-EPMC7595391 | biostudies-literature
Project description:IntroductionOur goal in this study was to estimate rates of emergency department (ED) visits for fever by children <2 years of age, and evaluate frequencies of testing and treatment during these visits.MethodsWe performed a cross-sectional study of ED encounters from 2007-2017 using the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, a cross-sectional, multi-stage probability sample survey of visits to nonfederal United States EDs. We included encounters with a visit reason of "fever" or recorded fever in the ED. We report demographics and management strategies in two groups: infants ≤90 days in age; and children 91 days to <2 years old. For patients 91 days to <2 years, we compared testing and treatment strategies between general and pediatric EDs using chi-squared tests.ResultsOf 1.5 billion encounters over 11 years, 2.1% (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.9-2.2%) were by children <2 years old with fever. Two million encounters (95% CI, 1.7-2.4 million) were by infants ≤90 days, and 28.4 million (95% CI, 25.5-31.4 million) were by children 91 days to <2 years. Among infants ≤90 days, 27.6% (95% CI, 21.1-34.1%) had blood and 21.3% (95% CI, 13.6-29.1%) had urine cultures; 26.8% (95% CI, 20.9-32.7%) were given antibiotics, and 21.1% (95% CI, 15.3-26.9%) were admitted or transferred. Among patients 91 days to <2 years in age, 6.8% (95% CI, 5.8-7.8%) had blood and 7.7% (95% CI 6.1-9.4%) had urine cultures; 40.5% (95% CI, 40.5-40.5%) were given antibiotics, and 4.4% (95% CI, 3.5-5.3%) were admitted or transferred. Patients 91 days to <2 years who were evaluated in general EDs had higher rates of radiography (27.1% vs 15.2%; P<0.01) and antibiotic utilization (42.3% vs 34.2%; P<0.01), but lower rates of urine culture testing (6.4% vs 11.6%, p = 0.03), compared with patients evaluated in pediatric EDs.ConclusionApproximately 180,000 patients ≤90 days old and 2.6 million patients 91 days to <2 years in age with fever present to US EDs annually. Given existing guidelines, blood and urine culture performance was low for infants ≤90 days old. For children 91 days to <2 years, rates of radiography and antibiotic use were higher in general EDs compared to pediatric EDs. These findings suggest opportunities to improve care among febrile young children in the ED.
| S-EPMC7673886 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectiveTo quantify the association between ambient heat and visits to the emergency department (ED) for any cause and for cause specific conditions in the conterminous United States among adults with health insurance.DesignTime stratified case crossover analyses with distributed lag non-linear models.SettingUS nationwide administrative healthcare claims database.ParticipantsAll commercial and Medicare Advantage beneficiaries (74.2 million) aged 18 years and older between May and September 2010 to 2019.Main outcome measuresDaily rates of ED visits for any cause, heat related illness, renal disease, cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, and mental disorders based on discharge diagnosis codes.Results21 996 670 ED visits were recorded among adults with health insurance living in 2939 US counties. Days of extreme heat-defined as the 95th centile of the local warm season (May through September) temperature distribution (at 34.4°C v 14.9°C national average level)-were associated with a 7.8% (95% confidence interval 7.3% to 8.2%) excess relative risk of ED visits for any cause, 66.3% (60.2% to 72.7%) for heat related illness, 30.4% (23.4% to 37.8%) for renal disease, and 7.9% (5.2% to 10.7%) for mental disorders. Days of extreme heat were associated with an excess absolute risk of ED visits for heat related illness of 24.3 (95% confidence interval 22.9 to 25.7) per 100 000 people at risk per day. Heat was not associated with a higher risk of ED visits for cardiovascular or respiratory diseases. Associations were more pronounced among men and in counties in the north east of the US or with a continental climate.ConclusionsAmong both younger and older adults, days of extreme heat are associated with a higher risk of ED visits for any cause, heat related illness, renal disease, and mental disorders. These results suggest that the adverse health effects of extreme heat are not limited to older adults and carry important implications for the health of adults across the age spectrum.
| S-EPMC9397126 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundDrug-related emergency department (ED) visits are escalating, especially for stimulant use (i.e., cocaine and psychostimulants such as methamphetamine). We sought to characterize rates, presentation, and management of ED visits related to cocaine and psychostimulant use, compared to opioid use, in the United States (US).MethodsWe used 2008-2018 National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey data to identify a nationally representative sample of ED visits related to cocaine and psychostimulant use, with opioids as the comparator. To make visits mutually exclusive for analysis, we excluded visits related to 2 or more of the three possible drug categories. We estimated annual rate trends using unadjusted Poisson regression; described demographics, presenting concerns, and management; and determined associations between drug-type and presenting concerns (categorized as psychiatric, neurologic, cardiopulmonary, and drug toxicity/withdrawal) using logistic regression, adjusting for age, sex, race/ethnicity, and homelessness.ResultsCocaine-related ED visits did not significantly increase, while psychostimulant-related ED visits increased from 2008 to 2018 (2.2 visits per 10,000 population to 12.9 visits per 10,000 population; p < 0.001). Cocaine-related ED visits had higher usage of cardiac testing, while psychostimulant-related ED visits had higher usage of chemical restraints than opioid-related ED visits. Cocaine- and psychostimulant-related ED visits had greater odds of presenting with cardiopulmonary concerns (cocaine adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 2.95, 95% CI 1.70-5.13; psychostimulant aOR 2.46, 95% CI 1.42-4.26), while psychostimulant-related visits had greater odds of presenting with psychiatric concerns (aOR 2.69, 95% CI 1.83-3.95) and lower odds of presenting with drug toxicity/withdrawal concerns (aOR 0.47, 95%CI 0.30-0.73) compared to opioid-related ED visits.ConclusionPresentations for stimulant-related ED visits differ from opioid-related ED visits: compared to opioids, ED presentations related to cocaine and psychostimulants are less often identified as related to drug toxicity/withdrawal and more often require interventions to address acute cardiopulmonary and psychiatric complications.
| S-EPMC8814795 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundFirearm injury (FI) is the leading cause of death in children and adolescents in the United States (US). We describe the epidemiology of pediatric FI-associated emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalizations in the US stratified by race and ethnicity.MethodsData on pediatric (0-17-year-olds) FI were analyzed using the 2019 Nationwide Emergency Department Sample (NEDS) and Kids' Inpatient Database (KID), the largest all-payer databases in the US for ED visits and pediatric hospitalizations, respectively. FI encounters were stratified by race and ethnicity. Poisson regression was used to identify factors associated with in-hospital mortality. Sampling weights were applied to generate nationally representative estimates.FindingsThere were 7017 pediatric ED visits with FI (NEDS); 85.0% (5961/7017) were male and 73.0% (5125/7017) were adolescents (15-17 years). Overall, 5.5% (384/7017) died in the ED; 53.1% (3727/7017) of ED encounters did not result in hospitalization. There were 2817 pediatric FI hospitalizations (KID); 84.1% (2369/2817) were male and 71.6% (2018/2817) were adolescents; 51.4% (1447/2817) of FI were unintentional, 42.8% (1207/2817) were assault-related, and 5.8% (163/2817) were self-inflicted. Black children had the highest proportion (52.6%; 1481/2817) of hospitalizations among all race and ethnicities (p < 0.0001 vs. White). White children had the highest proportion of hospitalizations for self-inflicted injuries (16.6% [91/551] vs. 4.9% [25/504; p < 0.0001] in Hispanics and 1.7% [24/1481] in Blacks; p < 0.0001). The majority (56.5%; 1591/2817) of hospitalizations were patients from low-income zip codes (median annual-household-income <$44,000); 70% (1971/2817) had Medicaid as the primary insurance payer. Overall, 8.0% (225/2817) died during FI-associated hospitalizations. Self-inflicted injuries had the highest in-hospital mortality (prevalence ratio = 8.20, 95% CI = 6.06-11.10 vs. unintentional).InterpretationBlack children and children with lower household incomes were disproportionately impacted by FI resulting from assaults and accidents, while White children had the highest proportion of self-inflicted FI injuries. Public health and legal policy interventions are needed to prevent pediatric FI.FundingUS National Institutes of Health.
| S-EPMC10192937 | biostudies-literature
Project description:IntroductionWe aimed to characterize emergency department (ED) utilization and clinical characteristics of patients with substance use disorder (SUD) seeking emergency care for all reasons.MethodsUsing 2016-2017 ED data from the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, we investigated demographics, ED resource utilization, and clinical characteristics of patients with SUD vs those without SUD.ResultsOf all adult ED visits (N = 27,609) in the US in 2016-2017, 11.1% of patients had SUD. Among ED patients with SUD, they were mostly non-Hispanic White (62.5%) and were more likely to be male (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.80 confidence interval [CI], 1.66-1.95). Emergency department patients with SUD were also more likely to return to the ED within 72 hours (aOR 1.32, CI, 1.09-1.61) and more likely to be admitted to the hospital (aOR 1.28, CI, 1.14-1.43) and intensive care unit (aOR 1.40, CI, 1.05-1.85).ConclusionPatients with SUD have specific demographic, socioeconomic, and clinical characteristics associated with their ED visits. These findings highlight the importance of recognizing co-existing SUD as risk factors for increasing morbidity in acutely ill and injured patients, and the potential role of the ED as a site for interventions aimed at reducing harm from SUD.
| S-EPMC8463055 | biostudies-literature