Open AccessInjury-Related Emergency Department Presentations Among Residential Aged Care Residents in Victoria, Australia
Author(s) -
Ladan Yeganeh,
Lyndal Bugeja,
Janneke Berecki,
Adrian Laughlin,
Joseph E. Ibrahim
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of aging and health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.041
H-Index - 75
eISSN - 1552-6887
pISSN - 0898-2643
DOI - 10.1177/08982643211039299
Subject(s) - medicine , emergency department , aged care , population , occupational safety and health , injury prevention , emergency medicine , poison control , medical emergency , suicide prevention , gerontology , environmental health , nursing , pathology
Objective This study aimed to quantify and describe the characteristics of emergency department (ED) injury presentations and subsequent hospital admissions among residents of residential aged-care facilities (RACFs) in Victoria, Australia between 2008 and 2018.Methods This study comprised a single jurisdiction population-based study of consecutive injury-related ED presentations of RACFs residents using the Victorian Emergency Minimum Dataset (VEMD).Results The rate of ED injury presentations per 100,000 population decreased by .8% per year over 10 years ( P = .03); however, the rate per 100,000 RACF bed days increased by .6% per year ( P = .05). The proportion of presentations subsequently admitted to hospital increased 4.0% per year ( P<.0001). The majority of presentations were due to falls (82.5%), with fracture(s) being the most common injury type (34.0%).Discussion The increased rate of ED visits and hospital admissions in RACFs residents highlights the need to design specialized emergency care services and/or provide better direct access to hospital care for this vulnerable population.