Emergency Department Presentations following Tropical Cyclone Yasi

Area of Science:

• Emergency Medicine
• Public Health
• Disaster Medicine

Background:

• Emergency departments (EDs) observe heightened patient volumes during extreme weather events like cyclones.
• This study examines patient presentations to a tertiary hospital ED following Tropical Cyclone Yasi.
• Key areas of focus include demographic shifts, triage categories, and disease classifications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze changes in patient demographics, triage categories, and disease classifications presenting to the Townsville ED after Tropical Cyclone Yasi.
• To understand the impact of a major cyclone on emergency department utilization and patient case mix.

Main Methods:

• Data were retrospectively collected from the Townsville Hospitals ED information system (EDIS).
• Analysis covered periods coinciding with Cyclone Yasi's formation and aftermath (January-February 2011).
• Changes in ICD10-AM classifications were examined at the Chapter level.

Main Results:

• A significant increase in ED attendance was observed during Cyclone Yasi, particularly among patients over 65 years.
• Triage categories 4 and 5, along with ICD categories for skin diseases (L00-L99) and health status factors (Z00-Z99), showed the most marked increases.
• Injuries (S00-T98) were the most common diagnostic presentation across all study years.

Conclusions:

• Townsville Hospital ED experienced a surge in presentations peaking within 24-48 hours post-cyclone, normalizing within five days.
• Observed changes largely reflected an amplification of usual attendance patterns, with notable shifts in specific activity areas.
• Injury patterns identified align with those reported in international disaster studies.