Age- and gender-associated distribution of type of admission, triage, type of discharge, and length of stay in the emergency department

Abstract

Introduction: Every year, numerous patients visit the emergency departments (ED) throughout Germany. The aim of this study was to investigate the age- and gender-associated distribution of the process criteria of admission, triage, type of discharge, and length of stay in a university ED. Materials and methods: In this retrospective study, all patient contacts during the year 2019 were recorded and categorized according to the distribution of age, gender, admission, triage, discharge, and length of stay. Results: From 1 January to 31 December 2019, 43,821 patient contacts were recorded. The mean age of these patients was 47 ± 24 years (median: 47, min–max: 0–106). The proportion of female patients was 48%. Overall, 10% of patients were ≤ 17 years (♀vs. ♂: 4 vs. 6%, p < 0.0001) and 24% were ≥ 70 years (♀ vs. ♂: 13 vs. 11%, p < 0.0001). For both genders, the proportion in the triage category “blue” and “green” was lower in the older age group. In the age groups above 50–59 years both genders showed a higher treatment priority (“yellow” to “red”). While 84–90% of patients in the ≤ 17 year age group were discharged home, this proportion decreased to 22% for men and 28% for women in the ≥ 90 year age group. In all discharge groups, the length of stay showed a stepwise increase in each age group. Conclusion: We found significant and particularly age-dependent differences in the process criteria of admission, triage, discharge, and length of stay. About 15% of patients are critically ill or injured (“orange” and “red”). The proportion of these triage categories increases with age. Approximately 30% of patients have an indication for inpatient admission, and corresponding bed capacities must be planned on a daily basis.