Emergency Department Visit Rate Increases With Age Among Older Adults

A data brief from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Center for Health Statistics determined that the rate of emergency department (ED) visits increases with age among people 60 years and older, reports Medical Xpress . The researchers analyzed data from the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey to characterize such visits. The rate was 43 visits per 100 persons aged 60 years and older in 2014 to 2017, increasing to 34 to 86 visits per 100 persons aged 60 to 69 years and 90 years and older, respectively. Roughly 7 percent of ED visits were made by nursing community residents, rising from 2 percent to 24 percent among persons 60 to 69 years and 90 years and older, respectively. Approximately 30 percent of those who visited the ED came by ambulance, which also increased with age. Moreover, the percentage of ED visits on account of unintentional falls increased with age. Twenty-three percent of visits resulted in hospitalization, with that rate rising with age as well. "As the U.S. population continues to grow older, monitoring use and provision of emergency department services among this population may help inform the ability of emergency departments to handle the unique needs of older patients," the authors concluded.