Factors associated hospital admission in patients with low acuity visiting emergency department

응급실 방문환자 중 낮은 우선순위를 가진 환자의 입원에 영향을 주는 요소

  • Oh, Min Taek (Department of Emergency Medicine, Pusan National University Hospital) ;
  • Lee, Seong Hwa (Department of Emergency Medicine, Pusan National University Hospital) ;
  • Park, Seong Wook (Department of Emergency Medicine, Pusan National University Hospital) ;
  • Park, Soon Chang (Department of Emergency Medicine, Pusan National University Hospital) ;
  • Kim, Hyung Bin (Department of Emergency Medicine, Pusan National University Hospital) ;
  • Jo, Young Mo (Department of Emergency Medicine, Pusan National University Hospital) ;
  • Bae, Byung Gwan (Department of Emergency Medicine, Pusan National University Hospital) ;
  • Wang, Il Jae (Department of Emergency Medicine, Pusan National University Hospital)
  • 오민택 (부산대학교병원 응급의학과) ;
  • 이성화 (부산대학교병원 응급의학과) ;
  • 박성욱 (부산대학교병원 응급의학과) ;
  • 박순창 (부산대학교병원 응급의학과) ;
  • 김형빈 (부산대학교병원 응급의학과) ;
  • 조영모 (부산대학교병원 응급의학과) ;
  • 배병관 (부산대학교병원 응급의학과) ;
  • 왕일재 (부산대학교병원 응급의학과)
  • Received : 2018.05.17
  • Accepted : 2018.08.26
  • Published : 2018.10.31

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.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

Supported by : 부산대학교병원

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