Infectious diseases treated in emergency departments: United States, 2001

Emergency departments (EDs) are an important source of medical care in the United States. Information is limited concerning epidemiologic patterns of ED visits for infectious diseases. Data for 2001 from the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS) were analyzed for infectious disease visits. The NHAMCS is a national probability sample survey of visits to hospital EDs and outpatient departments of non-federal, short-stay, and general hospitals in the United States. Data are collected annually and are weighted to generate national estimates. In 2001, an estimated 19.8 million visits were made to hospital EDs for infectious diseases (rate=71 visits/1,000 persons). Children under 15 years old made 36% of these visits and had the highest rate of visits (rate=119 visits/1,000 persons). The rate of visits for females was 37% higher than for males (82 versus 60/1,000 persons). Although the white population had the highest volume of visits, the rate of visits for blacks was more than twice that of whites (130 versus 64 visits/1,000 persons). Laboratory tests were ordered in 84% of visits. An estimated 18% of visits to the EDs concern infectious diseases. The issue of health care access and ED use is complex and the reasons for the higher rate of visits for blacks than for whites are not fully understood.