Epidemiological characteristics of geriatric patients in emergency departments: Results of a multicenter study

Abstract

Introduction: The increasing proportion of elderly individuals in the population due to increased life expectancy has necessitated greater provision of health care. Here we aimed to determine patient characteristics, reasons for referral, and outcomes of emergency department visits and hospitalization in patients aged ?65 years with referrals to emergency departments. Materials and Method: This prospective, multicenter observational study was conducted over one week at the emergency departments of 13 Turkey hospitals. All patients aged ?65 years who were referred to emergency departments with acute medical or surgical issues during the study period were included. Patients aged <65 years or those referred for trauma were excluded. Results: In total, 1299 patients with a mean age of 74.8±7.3 years were included. Of these 51.9% (n=674) were aged 65–74 years, 67.5% (n=877) were discharged from the hospital and 5.8% (n=75) died during admission. The most frequently diagnosed disorders in the emergency departments were cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, and pulmonary diseases. A significant difference in age was observed between the survival and non-survival groups (p=0.001), with no significant differences in gender distribution (p=0.259), length of stay in intensive care units (p=0.605), or length of stay in hospital (p=0.055). Conclusion: With an increased proportion of elderly individuals in the general population the number of elderly patients referred to emergency departments continues to increase. This study presents the demographic features and clinical course of elderly patients referred to study centers. © 2015, Geriatrics Society. All rights reserved.