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Table 1 Characteristics of emergency department visits (numbers and percentages) by patients aged 65–84 years vs. 85 years and over, 2005 and 2010

From: Emergency department use by oldest-old patients from 2005 to 2010 in a Swiss university hospital

 

2005

  

2010

  

Z-Test 2005/2010 P value

 

65–84 years

85+ years

Chi2 P value

65-84 years

85+ years

Chi2 P value

65–84 years

85+ years

ED visits a

 

6,327 (76.9%)

1,901 (23.1%)

*

7,618 (73.3%)

2,772 (26.7%)

*

*

*

Sex

Male

3,004 (47.5%)

602 (31.7%)

*

3,858 (50.6%)

963 (34.7%)

*

*

 
 

Female

3,323 (52.5%)

1,299 (68.3%)

3,760 (49.4%)

1,809 (65.3%)

*

 

Marital status

Married

2,965 (46.9%)

432 (22.7%)

*

3,858 (50.6%)

796 (28.7%)

*

*

*

 

Other b

3,362 (53.1%)

1,469 (77.3%)

3,760 (49.4%)

1,976 (71.3%)

*

*

Residence

Home

5,634 (89.2%)

1,582 (83.3%)

*

6,714 (88.2%)

2,262 (81.6%)

*

  
 

Nursing home

237 (3.8%)

228 (12.0%)

328 (4.3%)

370 (13.5%)

  
 

Transfer c

445 (7.1%)

90 (4.7%)

572 (7.5%)

139 (5.0%)

  

Triage level d

<= 15 min

2,828 (44.7%)

841 (44.2%)

 

3,427 (45.4%)

1,078 (44.1%)

   
 

> 15 min

3,499 (55.3%)

1,060 (55.8%)

4,113 (54.6%)

1,369 (55.9%)

  

Reason for ED

Cardiovasc. conditions

1,245 (19.7%)

344 (18.1%)

*

1,431 (19.0%)

389 (15.9%)

*

  

visit d,e

Trauma

1,052 (16.6%)

497 (26.1%)

1,173 (15.6%)

583 (23.8%)

  
 

Respiratory conditions

829 (13.1%)

/

/

/

/

/

Disposition

Hospital admission c

3,871 (62.4%)

1,254 (68.4%)

*

4,478 (58.8%)

1,935 (69.8%)

*

*

 
 

Home discharge

2,127 (34.3%)

407 (22.2%)

2,893 (38.0%)

608 (21.9%)

*

 
 

Nursing home discharge

153 (2.6%)

145 (7.9%)

192 (2.5%)

198 (7.2%)

  
 

In-ED death

56 (0.9%)

29 (1.6%)

53 (0.7%)

30 (1.1%)

  

Length of ED stay

Mean ± SD

12 h 58 m (±13.1)

14 h 46 m (±13.1)

*f

12 h 12 m (±12.8)

15 h 56 m (±14.8)

*f

*

*

(hours and minutes)

Median

6 h 52 mh

8 h 51 mh

6 h 37 mh

9 h 13 mh

*g

*g

Return to ED within 30 days after ED

Discharge from ED to home/nursing home

230 (3.6%)

51 (2.7%)

 

383 (5.0%)

95 (3.4%)

*

  

discharge

Discharge after hospital admission

220 (3.5%)

63 (3.3%)

284 (3.7%)

118 (4.3%)

  
 

No return

5,877 (92.9%)

1,787 (94.0%)

6,951 (91.2%)

2,559 (92.3%)

*

*

  1. Legend:
  2. * P Value < 0.05.
  3. aED Emergency Department.
  4. bSingle, widowed, divorced, separated, unknown.
  5. cAcute care, psychiatric and rehabilitation hospital.
  6. d2009 instead of 2010.
  7. eThe three most common reasons for ED visit according to age group and year.
  8. fZ-Test comparison of means.
  9. gWilcoxon rank sum test.
  10. hSmall differences with median length of ED stay reported in the survival analyses are due to censored stays (in-ED death and ED stays over 48 hours).