Use of the accident and emergency department by patients with diabetes.
As part of a District-based audit of diabetes care all attendances (of diabetic and non-diabetic patients) at a local Accident and Emergency department were monitored over a 3-month period. A total of 9505 attendances took place of which 62 (0.7%) were by people with diabetes. This was no different from the expected number of attendances (61.5) based on the rates seen in non-diabetic individuals. Of these 62 attendances, 20 (by 15 individuals) were directly related to diabetes (hypoglycaemia 17, hyperglycaemia 1, for supplies of insulin or equipment 2). When these diabetes-specific attendances were removed from the total, the number of attendances (42) was significantly (p = 0.004) less than that expected. Diabetic males aged 0-19 years attended significantly more often than non-diabetic individuals of the same age but this excess was solely attributable to diabetes.
Holmwood
K I
KI
University Department of Community Medicine, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, UK.
Williams
D R
DR
Roland
J M
JM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000628:therapy*; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D006113:United Kingdom