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A Geriatric Emergency Service for Acutely Ill Elderly Patients: Pattern of Use and Comparison with a Conventional Emergency Department in Italy
Author(s) -
Salvi Fabio,
Morichi Valeria,
Grilli Annalisa,
Giorgi Raffaella,
Spazzafumo Liana,
Polonara Stefano,
De Tommaso Giuseppe,
Rappelli Alessandro,
DessìFulgheri Paolo
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
journal of the american geriatrics society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.992
H-Index - 232
eISSN - 1532-5415
pISSN - 0002-8614
DOI - 10.1111/j.1532-5415.2008.01991.x
Subject(s) - medicine , emergency department , triage , hazard ratio , confidence interval , odds ratio , observational study , emergency medicine , geriatrics , prospective cohort study , gerontology , pediatrics , psychiatry
The current disease‐oriented, episodic model of emergency care does not adequately address the complex needs of older adults presenting to emergency departments (EDs). Dedicated ED facilities with a specific organization (e.g., geriatric EDs (GEDs)) have been advocated. One of the few GED experiences in the world is described and its outcomes compared with those of a conventional ED (CED). In a secondary analysis of a prospective observational cohort of 200 acutely ill elderly patients presenting to two urban EDs in Ancona, Italy, identifiers and triage, clinical, and social data were collected and the following outcomes considered: early (30‐day) and late (6‐month) ED revisit, frequent ED return, hospital admission, and functional decline. Death, functional decline, any ED revisit and any hospital admission were also considered as a composite outcome. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. Overall, GED patients were older and frailer than CED patients. The two EDs did not differ in terms of early, late, or frequent ED return or in 6‐month hospital admission or functional decline. The mortality rate was slightly but significantly lower in the GED patients (hazard ratio=0.47, 95% CI=0.22–0.99, P =.047). The data suggest noninferiority and, indirectly, a slight superiority for the GED system in the acute care of elderly people, supporting the hypothesis that ED facilities specially designed for older adults may provide better care.