Clinical presentations of elderly patients at emergency departments: a comparison between a medical center and a community hospital.
BACKGROUND
The utilization of emergency services is expected to increase in parallel with an increase of the elderly population. This article compares the elderly patient Emergency Department (ED) utilization at a 3500-bed medical center with that of a 600-bed community hospital serviced by the same group of emergency physicians.


METHODS
We retrospectively reviewed all patients over 64 years old who presented to Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital (CGMH) and Keelung CGMH between July 1, 1995 and June 30, 1996 by using the 2 ED's real-time computer logs. Data comparisons included age, gender, mode of arrival, arriving source, triage category, chief complaint, impression, and final disposition.


RESULTS
There were 18,285 patients in the Linkou ED and 8038 in Keelung. Significant differences in arrival mode, arriving source, triage category, disease pattern, and final disposition were observed between the Linkou and Keelung CGMH EDs.


CONCLUSIONS
Significant differences reflected the different roles between the Linkou and Keelung CGMH EDs. Hospital EDs should be prepared to adapt to meet the needs of the elderly based on their roles in the medical care system, at the elderly population grows in the 21st century.
Liao
H C
HC
Department of Emergency Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taoyuan, Taiwan, R.O.C.
Bullard
M J
MJ
Hu
P M
PM
Liaw
S J
SJ
Chen
J C
JC
Chiu
T F
TF
D000046:Academic Medical Centers; D000368:Aged / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006764:Hospitals, Community; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013624:Taiwan; D014187:Transportation of Patients