The effect of COVID-19 pandemic on the length of stay and outcomes in the emergency department
Objective This study aimed to evaluate the change in length of stay (LOS) in the emergency department (ED) and outcomes during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Methods This is a single-center, retrospective observational study. We compared ED LOS and outcomes in patients aged ≥19 ye...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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The Korean Society of Emergency Medicine
2022-06-01
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| Series: | Clinical and Experimental Emergency Medicine |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://ceemjournal.org/upload/pdf/ceem-21-058.pdf |
| _version_ | 1828006152175091712 |
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| author | Soh Yeon Chun Ho Jung Kim Han Bit Kim |
| author_facet | Soh Yeon Chun Ho Jung Kim Han Bit Kim |
| author_sort | Soh Yeon Chun |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Objective This study aimed to evaluate the change in length of stay (LOS) in the emergency department (ED) and outcomes during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Methods This is a single-center, retrospective observational study. We compared ED LOS and outcomes in patients aged ≥19 years who presented to the ED of Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital, a single tertiary university hospital, between January and December in 2018, 2019, and 2020. We included patients who were diagnosed with fever, pneumonia, and sepsis in the ED, based on the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems 10th Revision. We also compared the LOS and outcomes of overall ED patients in 2019 (before COVID-19) and in 2020 (after COVID-19). Results A total of 5,061 patients with fever, pneumonia, and sepsis were analyzed. The LOS in the ED in 2020 significantly increased compared with 2018 and 2019 (177.0±115.0 minutes in 2018, 154.0±85.0 minutes in 2019, and 208.0±239.0 minutes in 2020). The proportion of patients who were transferred to other hospitals in 2020 (2.1%) increased compared with 2018 (0.8%) and 2019 (0.7%). Intensive care unit admission significantly increased in 2020 (13.7%) compared with 2019 (10.3%). Among all ED patients, ED LOS in 2020 was longer than in 2019, particularly in patients who were admitted and then transferred to another hospital. Intensive care unit admission (4.4% vs. 5.0%), transfer rate (0.7% vs. 0.9%), and ED mortality (0.6% vs. 0.7%) also significantly increased. Conclusion The ED LOS, time to intensive care unit admissions, time to transfer to other hospitals, and ED mortality significantly increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T07:52:56Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4a428bca77654334820b1c51b8910c5d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2383-4625 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T07:52:56Z |
| publishDate | 2022-06-01 |
| publisher | The Korean Society of Emergency Medicine |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Clinical and Experimental Emergency Medicine |
| spelling | doaj.art-4a428bca77654334820b1c51b8910c5d2023-02-23T07:12:09ZengThe Korean Society of Emergency MedicineClinical and Experimental Emergency Medicine2383-46252022-06-019212813310.15441/ceem.21.058387The effect of COVID-19 pandemic on the length of stay and outcomes in the emergency departmentSoh Yeon Chun0Ho Jung KimHan Bit Kim1 Department of Emergency Medicine, Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital, Bucheon, Korea Department of Emergency Medicine, Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital, Bucheon, KoreaObjective This study aimed to evaluate the change in length of stay (LOS) in the emergency department (ED) and outcomes during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Methods This is a single-center, retrospective observational study. We compared ED LOS and outcomes in patients aged ≥19 years who presented to the ED of Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital, a single tertiary university hospital, between January and December in 2018, 2019, and 2020. We included patients who were diagnosed with fever, pneumonia, and sepsis in the ED, based on the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems 10th Revision. We also compared the LOS and outcomes of overall ED patients in 2019 (before COVID-19) and in 2020 (after COVID-19). Results A total of 5,061 patients with fever, pneumonia, and sepsis were analyzed. The LOS in the ED in 2020 significantly increased compared with 2018 and 2019 (177.0±115.0 minutes in 2018, 154.0±85.0 minutes in 2019, and 208.0±239.0 minutes in 2020). The proportion of patients who were transferred to other hospitals in 2020 (2.1%) increased compared with 2018 (0.8%) and 2019 (0.7%). Intensive care unit admission significantly increased in 2020 (13.7%) compared with 2019 (10.3%). Among all ED patients, ED LOS in 2020 was longer than in 2019, particularly in patients who were admitted and then transferred to another hospital. Intensive care unit admission (4.4% vs. 5.0%), transfer rate (0.7% vs. 0.9%), and ED mortality (0.6% vs. 0.7%) also significantly increased. Conclusion The ED LOS, time to intensive care unit admissions, time to transfer to other hospitals, and ED mortality significantly increased during the COVID-19 pandemic.http://ceemjournal.org/upload/pdf/ceem-21-058.pdfcovid-19emergenciescrowdinglength of stay |
| spellingShingle | Soh Yeon Chun Ho Jung Kim Han Bit Kim The effect of COVID-19 pandemic on the length of stay and outcomes in the emergency department Clinical and Experimental Emergency Medicine covid-19 emergencies crowding length of stay |
| title | The effect of COVID-19 pandemic on the length of stay and outcomes in the emergency department |
| title_full | The effect of COVID-19 pandemic on the length of stay and outcomes in the emergency department |
| title_fullStr | The effect of COVID-19 pandemic on the length of stay and outcomes in the emergency department |
| title_full_unstemmed | The effect of COVID-19 pandemic on the length of stay and outcomes in the emergency department |
| title_short | The effect of COVID-19 pandemic on the length of stay and outcomes in the emergency department |
| title_sort | effect of covid 19 pandemic on the length of stay and outcomes in the emergency department |
| topic | covid-19 emergencies crowding length of stay |
| url | http://ceemjournal.org/upload/pdf/ceem-21-058.pdf |
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