Factors associated hospital admission in patients with low acuity visiting emergency department.
- Author:
Min Taek OH
1
;
Seong Hwa LEE
;
Seong Wook PARK
;
Soon Chang PARK
;
Hyung Bin KIM
;
Young Mo JO
;
Byung Gwan BAE
;
Il Jae WANG
Author Information
1. Department of Emergency Medicine, Pusan National University Hospital, Busan, Korea. 2seonghwa@gmail.com
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Hospitalization;
Emergencies;
Triage;
Risk factors
- MeSH:
Accidental Falls;
Ambulances;
Emergencies*;
Emergency Service, Hospital*;
Hospitalization;
Humans;
Odds Ratio;
Patient Admission;
Retrospective Studies;
Risk Factors;
Triage
- From:Journal of the Korean Society of Emergency Medicine
2018;29(5):408-414
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
OBJECTIVE: Patients with low acuity who need hospitalization may be at risk if they do not receive proper treatment in overcrowded emergency rooms. This study was conducted to investigate factors affecting the hospitalization of patients with low acuity of Korean Triage and Acuity Scale (KTAS). METHODS: This study was a retrospective chart review analysis of patients aged 15 years or older who had triaged as KTAS 4 and 5 grades when visiting a local emergency medical center from January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2017. Multivariate logistic analysis was performed to analyze the effects of age, sex, reasons for visiting, visiting route, ambulance utilization, KTAS grade and major category on patient admission. RESULTS: A total of 10,540 patients were enrolled and the odds ratio (OR) increased with age from those aged over 34 years (P < 0.001). Patients that triaged as KTAS grade 5 (adjusted OR, 1.57; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.36–1.82), had a condition caused by disease (adjusted OR, 2.31; 95% CI, 2.00–2.68), and visited by using an ambulance (public: adjusted OR, 1.05; 95% CI, 0.91–1.22; private: adjusted OR, 4.60; 95% CI, 3.85–5.49) were more likely to be hospitalized. Individuals in the “general” major category were more likely to be hospitalized than those falling into other major categories (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The factors influencing the hospitalization of patients with low acuity were age, reasons for visiting, visiting route, ambulance utilization, KTAS grade and major category on patient admission.
