Dynamic changes of emergency visits: a retrospective observational study

Area of Science:

• Emergency Medicine
• Epidemiology
• Public Health

Background:

• Increasing emergency visits globally necessitate improved emergency medical services.
• Tertiary hospitals face growing pressure to manage patient influx.
• Understanding local epidemiological trends is crucial for service enhancement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the epidemiological characteristics of emergency department patients.
• To determine the disease spectrum of patients presenting to the emergency department.
• To provide data for improving emergency medical services at Tianjin Medical University General Hospital.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective study of emergency department patients from January 1, 2017, to December 31, 2020.
• Data collected included demographics, admission dates, and principal diagnoses.
• Statistical analysis using SPSS, with data visualization in GraphPad Prism and Excel.

Main Results:

• Over 1.3 million patients visited the emergency department during the study period.
• The most prevalent diseases were respiratory, cardiovascular, and digestive.
• Respiratory infections were the most common infectious disease, with a significant decrease in 2020.

Conclusions:

• Emergency service demand rose until 2019, with a notable impact from COVID-19 in 2020.
• The department primarily serves patients with respiratory, cardiovascular, and digestive conditions.
• Strengthening disease prevention, especially for females and the elderly, and optimizing resource allocation are recommended.