Emergency department use by centenarians: the 2008 Nationwide Emergency Department Sample

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Emergency Medicine
• Public Health

Background:

• Older adults exhibit higher emergency department (ED) utilization rates.
• The population of centenarians is projected to grow significantly.
• Understanding ED use among the oldest old is crucial for healthcare planning.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate emergency department utilization patterns among centenarians in the United States.
• To analyze diagnoses, associated charges, and patient disposition for centenarian ED visits.
• To compare centenarian ED use with that of other elderly populations (90-99 and 80-89 years).

Main Methods:

• Utilized the 2008 Nationwide Emergency Department Sample (NEDS) for encounter-level data.
• Extracted patient characteristics including age, sex, primary diagnosis, and disposition.
• Employed chi-squared and t-tests to compare demographic and diagnostic differences across age groups.

Main Results:

• Centenarians had lower ED visit rates compared to those aged 90-99 (736 vs. 950 per 1,000).
• Common diagnoses for centenarians included superficial injuries, pneumonia, and urinary tract infections.
• Centenarians were more likely to experience fall-related injuries and in-ED mortality (2.0%) than younger elderly groups.

Conclusions:

• Centenarians represent a distinct group within the elderly population regarding emergency department care.
• Diagnoses, conditions, and outcomes for centenarians in the ED differ significantly from other older Americans.
• Findings highlight unique healthcare needs and risks for the centenarian population in emergency settings.