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Increased emergency department use by adolescents and young adults with eating disorders
Author(s) -
DooleyHash Suzanne,
Lipson Sarah K.,
Walton Maureen A.,
Cunningham Rebecca M.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
international journal of eating disorders
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.785
H-Index - 138
eISSN - 1098-108X
pISSN - 0276-3478
DOI - 10.1002/eat.22070
Subject(s) - eating disorders , emergency department , psychiatry , abdominal pain , medicine , psychology , pediatrics
Objective: This study describes patterns of emergency department (ED) utilization by patients who screen positive for eating disorders. Method: ED patients aged 14–20 years ( n = 1,920) completed a computerized questionnaire. The analyses compared the rates of ED use between patients who screened positive for an eating disorder and those who did not and examined the reasons for ED use amongst patients with eating disorders. Results: ED patients who screened positive for eating disorders were significantly more likely to have previously visited the ED and, on average, utilized the ED at a rate 1.6 times higher than patients who screen negative for eating disorders. The most common chief complaints among patients who screen positive for eating disorders were abdominal pain and other gastrointestinal‐related problems. Discussion: Patients with eating disorders utilize the ED more frequently than those without and commonly present for complaints seemingly unrelated to their eating disorder. © 2012 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (Int J Eat Disord 2013)