Use of Emergency Departments by the Elderly in Rural Areas
Copyright policy )Use of Emergency Departments by the Elderly in Rural Areas
Sparse information is available concerning use of emergency departments (EDs) by the elderly in rural areas. We reviewed records of all patients seeking care at EDs of three rural hospitals during 7 days in October 1991. We found that elderly people did not use EDs in proportion to their numbers in the community (15.2% versus 19.3%). Compared with younger ED patients, more elderly patients required an ambulance (40.8% versus 10.7%), more needed hospitalization (38.4% versus 11.9%), and their ED stays were longer (140 minutes versus 89 minutes). Falls/injuries (18.7%) and cardiac illness (18.1%) were the most frequent reasons for ED visits by the elderly, and relatively few (2.8%) had confusion. More elderly patients arrived during daytime hours than during the night, and more on weekends than weekdays. Also, we found no difference between patients in the 65- to 74-year-old age group and those aged 75 years and older.
- East Tennessee State University United States
- East Tennessee State University James H. Quillen College of Medicine United States
Male, diagnosis, Health Services for the Aged, Ambulances, transportation of patients (statistics & numerical data), time factors, patient admission (statistics & numerical data), Patient Admission, Diagnosis, 80 and over, humans, Confusion, hospitalization (statistics & numerical data), health services for the aged (statistics & numerical data), Aged, 80 and over, adult, Age Factors, Tennessee, wounds and injuries (epidemiology), Hospitalization, aged, ambulances (statistics & numerical data), retrospective studies, female, heart diseases (epidemiology), Female, length of stay (statistics & numerical data), Emergency Service, Hospital, accidental falls (statistics & numerical data), Adult, age factors, Heart Diseases, rural health services (statistics & numerical data), QCOM, 618, hospital (statistics & numerical data), male, 616, Humans, Aged, Retrospective Studies, emergency service, Length of Stay, confusion (epidemiology), Accidental Falls, Rural Health Services, tennessee (epidemiology)
Male, diagnosis, Health Services for the Aged, Ambulances, transportation of patients (statistics & numerical data), time factors, patient admission (statistics & numerical data), Patient Admission, Diagnosis, 80 and over, humans, Confusion, hospitalization (statistics & numerical data), health services for the aged (statistics & numerical data), Aged, 80 and over, adult, Age Factors, Tennessee, wounds and injuries (epidemiology), Hospitalization, aged, ambulances (statistics & numerical data), retrospective studies, female, heart diseases (epidemiology), Female, length of stay (statistics & numerical data), Emergency Service, Hospital, accidental falls (statistics & numerical data), Adult, age factors, Heart Diseases, rural health services (statistics & numerical data), QCOM, 618, hospital (statistics & numerical data), male, 616, Humans, Aged, Retrospective Studies, emergency service, Length of Stay, confusion (epidemiology), Accidental Falls, Rural Health Services, tennessee (epidemiology)
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