Differences of disease characteristics between genders in emergency department elderly of a community hospital in Taiwan.
BACKGROUND
The purpose of this study was to catalog the chief complaints and diagnoses of elderly patients visiting to a Taiwanese emergency department (ED), and to compare gender differences.


METHODS
ED computer log data of patients 65 years and older, who visited the ED from July 1995 to June 1996, were retrospectively reviewed. The computer log data for each patient was entered prospectively by the doctor providing the ED care. All patient data were separated by gender, and then subdivided into trauma and non-trauma groups for analysis.


RESULTS
There were 8038 elderly patients treated during the study period. The most common male chief complaint was dyspnea, and for females, it was abdominal pain, followed by injuries for both genders. Falls were the most common mechanism of injury for both genders, but they were more common among females (63.2% vs. 46.1%, p < 0.001). Motorbike accidents, however, were 3 times as frequent among males (16.05% vs. 5.45%, p < 0.001). Males presented most commonly with COPD (12.2%), compared to only 4.16% for females (p < 0.001), with urinary retention the second most common diagnosis (5.04% vs. 0.72%, p < 0.001). Females suffered a greater number of urinary tract infections (5.42% vs. 2.03%, p < 0.001), presentations for renal failure (2.98% vs. 1.56% p < 0.001), and diabetes-associated problems (4.58% vs. 2.48%, p < 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Elderly females presented to the ED more frequently with urinary tract and diabetic problems; while their male counterparts presented with complications of COPD, urinary retention, and motorbike accidents.
Chen
J C
JC
Department of Emergency Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.
Bullard
M J
MJ
Hu
P M
PM
Chiu
T F
TF
Liao
H C
HC
Liaw
S J
SJ
D000368:Aged; D004632:Emergency Medical Services; D005260:Female; D005853:Geriatrics; D006801:Humans; D008173:Lung Diseases, Obstructive / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D020521:Stroke / Q000453:epidemiology; D014552:Urinary Tract Infections / Q000453:epidemiology