Health related quality of life and emergency department visits in adults of age ≥ 66 years : a prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Age increases the risk of emergency department [ED] visits. Health related quality of life (HRQoL) is often estimated as an outcome of ED visits, but it can be a risk factor of ED visits. This study aims to assess the association of HRQoL with time to first ED visit and/or frequent ED use in older adults during four-year period and if this association differs in 66-80 and 80+ age groups. METHODS: Data from the Swedish National Study on Aging and Care-Blekinge of wave 2007-2009 was used in combination with electronic health records on ED visits. The analytical sample included 673 participants of age 66 years and older with information on HRQoL. Cox proportional hazard model was used to assess the association between HRQoL and time to first ED visit. Logistic regression analysis was performed to estimate the association of HRQoL with frequent ED use. RESULTS: During the study period, 55.3% of older adults visited the ED and 28.8% had a frequent ED use. Poor physical HRQoL was independently associated with first ED visit both in total sample (p < 0.001) and in 66-80 (p < 0.001) and 80+ (p = 0.038) age groups. Poor mental HRQoL had no significant association with first ED visit and frequent ED use. CONCLUSION: Findings suggest that poor physical HRQoL is associated with time to first ED visit in older adults. Therefore, physical HRQoL should be considered while planning interventions on the reduction of ED utilisation in older adults. Explanatory factors of frequent ED use may differ in age groups. Further studies are needed to identify associated factors of frequent ED visits in 80+ group

The prevalence of non-cardiac chest pain (NCCP) using emergency department (ED) data: a Northern Ireland based study:Non-cardiac chest pain in the ED

Abstract Background The aim of this study was to assess the frequency of chest pain presentations and the subsequent non-cardiac chest pain diagnoses in an emergency department (ED) over a 3 year period. Methods Administrative data on ED attendances to an urban general hospital in Northern Ireland between March 2013 and March 2016 were used. Data were coded and analysed to estimate frequencies of ‘chest pain’ presentation and the subsequent diagnoses for each year. Results Both chest pain presentations and chest pain presentations with a subsequent diagnosis of unknown cause increased each year. In total, 58.7% of all chest presentations across 3 years resulted in a non-cardiac diagnosis of either ‘anxiety’, ‘panic’ or ‘chest pain of unknown cause’. Discussion There is a significant amount of patients in the ED leaving with a non-cardiac diagnosis, following an initial presentation with chest pain. Conclusion Given the link between non-cardiac chest pain and frequent use of services, the degree of repeat attendance should be investigated