Frequency and predictors of unspecific medical diagnoses in the emergency department: a prospective observational study
Abstract Background Misdiagnosis is a major public health problem, causing increased morbidity and mortality. In the busy setting of an emergency department (ED) patients are diagnosed under difficult circumstances. As a consequence, the ED diagnosis at hospital admittance may often be a descriptive...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2022-06-01
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| Series: | BMC Emergency Medicine |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12873-022-00665-x |
| _version_ | 1818228225047789568 |
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| author | Tanja Birrenbach Michele Hoffmann Stefanie C. Hautz Juliane E. Kämmer Aristomenis K. Exadaktylos Thomas C. Sauter Martin Müller Wolf E. Hautz |
| author_facet | Tanja Birrenbach Michele Hoffmann Stefanie C. Hautz Juliane E. Kämmer Aristomenis K. Exadaktylos Thomas C. Sauter Martin Müller Wolf E. Hautz |
| author_sort | Tanja Birrenbach |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Misdiagnosis is a major public health problem, causing increased morbidity and mortality. In the busy setting of an emergency department (ED) patients are diagnosed under difficult circumstances. As a consequence, the ED diagnosis at hospital admittance may often be a descriptive diagnosis, such as “decreased general condition”. Our objective was to determine in how far patients with such an unspecific ED diagnosis differ from patients with a specific ED diagnosis and whether they experience a worse outcome. Methods We conducted a prospective observational study in Bern university hospital in Switzerland for all adult non-trauma patients admitted to any internal medicine ward from August 15th 2015 to December 7th 2015. Unspecific ED diagnoses were defined through the clinical classification software for ICD-10 by two outcome assessors. As outcome parameters, we assessed in-hospital mortality and length of hospital stay. Results Six hundred eighty six consecutive patients were included. Unspecific diagnoses were identified in 100 (14.6%) of all consultations. Patients receiving an unspecific diagnosis at ED discharge were significantly more often women (56.0% vs. 43.9%, p = 0.024), presented more often with a non-specific complaint (34% vs. 21%, p = 0.004), were less often demonstrating an abnormal heart rate (5.0% vs. 12.5%, p = 0.03), and less often on antibiotics (32.0% vs. 49.0%, p = 0.002). Apart from these, no studied drug intake, laboratory or clinical data including change in diagnosis was associated significantly with an unspecific diagnosis. Unspecific diagnoses were neither associated with in-hospital mortality in multivariable analysis (OR = 1.74, 95% CI: 0.60–5.04; p = 0.305) adjusted for relevant confounders nor with length of hospital stay (GMR = 0.87, 95% CI: 0.23–3.32; p = 0.840). Conclusions Women and patients with non-specific presenting complaints and no abnormal heart rate are at risk of receiving unspecific ED diagnoses that do not allow for targeted treatment, discharge and prognosis. This study did not find an effect of such diagnoses on length of hospital stay nor in-hospital mortality. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-12T09:59:19Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a41156e333794ea381ddfe4084d61227 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1471-227X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-12T09:59:19Z |
| publishDate | 2022-06-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Emergency Medicine |
| spelling | doaj.art-a41156e333794ea381ddfe4084d612272022-12-22T00:28:02ZengBMCBMC Emergency Medicine1471-227X2022-06-0122111010.1186/s12873-022-00665-xFrequency and predictors of unspecific medical diagnoses in the emergency department: a prospective observational studyTanja Birrenbach0Michele Hoffmann1Stefanie C. Hautz2Juliane E. Kämmer3Aristomenis K. Exadaktylos4Thomas C. Sauter5Martin Müller6Wolf E. Hautz7Department of Emergency Medicine, Inselspital, University Hospital, University of BernDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Inselspital, University Hospital, University of BernDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Inselspital, University Hospital, University of BernDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Inselspital, University Hospital, University of BernDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Inselspital, University Hospital, University of BernDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Inselspital, University Hospital, University of BernDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Inselspital, University Hospital, University of BernDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Inselspital, University Hospital, University of BernAbstract Background Misdiagnosis is a major public health problem, causing increased morbidity and mortality. In the busy setting of an emergency department (ED) patients are diagnosed under difficult circumstances. As a consequence, the ED diagnosis at hospital admittance may often be a descriptive diagnosis, such as “decreased general condition”. Our objective was to determine in how far patients with such an unspecific ED diagnosis differ from patients with a specific ED diagnosis and whether they experience a worse outcome. Methods We conducted a prospective observational study in Bern university hospital in Switzerland for all adult non-trauma patients admitted to any internal medicine ward from August 15th 2015 to December 7th 2015. Unspecific ED diagnoses were defined through the clinical classification software for ICD-10 by two outcome assessors. As outcome parameters, we assessed in-hospital mortality and length of hospital stay. Results Six hundred eighty six consecutive patients were included. Unspecific diagnoses were identified in 100 (14.6%) of all consultations. Patients receiving an unspecific diagnosis at ED discharge were significantly more often women (56.0% vs. 43.9%, p = 0.024), presented more often with a non-specific complaint (34% vs. 21%, p = 0.004), were less often demonstrating an abnormal heart rate (5.0% vs. 12.5%, p = 0.03), and less often on antibiotics (32.0% vs. 49.0%, p = 0.002). Apart from these, no studied drug intake, laboratory or clinical data including change in diagnosis was associated significantly with an unspecific diagnosis. Unspecific diagnoses were neither associated with in-hospital mortality in multivariable analysis (OR = 1.74, 95% CI: 0.60–5.04; p = 0.305) adjusted for relevant confounders nor with length of hospital stay (GMR = 0.87, 95% CI: 0.23–3.32; p = 0.840). Conclusions Women and patients with non-specific presenting complaints and no abnormal heart rate are at risk of receiving unspecific ED diagnoses that do not allow for targeted treatment, discharge and prognosis. This study did not find an effect of such diagnoses on length of hospital stay nor in-hospital mortality.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12873-022-00665-xUnspecific diagnosesNon-specific complaintsEmergency departmentDiagnostic error |
| spellingShingle | Tanja Birrenbach Michele Hoffmann Stefanie C. Hautz Juliane E. Kämmer Aristomenis K. Exadaktylos Thomas C. Sauter Martin Müller Wolf E. Hautz Frequency and predictors of unspecific medical diagnoses in the emergency department: a prospective observational study BMC Emergency Medicine Unspecific diagnoses Non-specific complaints Emergency department Diagnostic error |
| title | Frequency and predictors of unspecific medical diagnoses in the emergency department: a prospective observational study |
| title_full | Frequency and predictors of unspecific medical diagnoses in the emergency department: a prospective observational study |
| title_fullStr | Frequency and predictors of unspecific medical diagnoses in the emergency department: a prospective observational study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Frequency and predictors of unspecific medical diagnoses in the emergency department: a prospective observational study |
| title_short | Frequency and predictors of unspecific medical diagnoses in the emergency department: a prospective observational study |
| title_sort | frequency and predictors of unspecific medical diagnoses in the emergency department a prospective observational study |
| topic | Unspecific diagnoses Non-specific complaints Emergency department Diagnostic error |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12873-022-00665-x |
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