Factors Associated With 72-Hour Emergency Department Revisits at a Tertiary Care Hospital in Saudi Arabia

The number of emergency department (ED) visits has increased locally and internationally; however, not all these visits require immediate treatment. A contributing factor to ED crowding is ED revisits. An ED revisit is defined as a patient presenting to the ED within 72 h after discharge from the previous ED visit. This study aimed to provide insights into the patterns and characteristics of ED revisits, specifically investigating the factors contributing to revisits within 72 h of discharge.

This retrospective study investigated patterns of revisits to the ED at King Abdulaziz Medical City, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The study included patients aged ≥14 years who returned within 72 h of discharge between January 1 and December 31, 2022.

A total of 461 patients were included in this study, of which 261 (56.5%) were females. At the first ED visit, 415 (90%) of the patients were discharged directly from the ED, and only 25 (5.4%) required admission and were then discharged. However, the same patients visited the ED within 72 h, with 313 (67.9%) being discharged directly from the ED without the need for admission or transfer during the second ED visit, while 134 (29.1%) required admission and were discharged after their hospitalization. The primary cause of revisits was the recurrence of the same complaint in 199 patients (43.2%).

This study provides important insights into the patterns of ED revisits. The most common reasons for revisits were illness-related factors, such as the recurrence of complaints and a lack of improvement in patients' conditions.