title: Comparison of emergency hospital admissions for drug poisoning and major diseases: a retrospective observational study using a nationwide administrative discharge database.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the clinical and procedural characteristics of emergency hospital admissions for drug poisoning and major diseases.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective observational study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Discharged patients from 855 acute care hospitals from 1 July to 31 December in 2008 in Japan.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were a total of 1 157 893 emergency hospital admissions. Among the top 100 causes, drug poisoning was ranked higher in terms of the percentage of patients using ambulance services (74.1%; second) and tertiary emergency medical services (37.8%; first). Despite higher utilisation of emergency care resources, drug poisoning ranked lower in terms of the median length of stay (2 days; 100th), percentage of requirement for surgical procedures (1.7%; 91st) and inhospital mortality ratio (0.3%; 74th).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Drug poisoning is unique among the top 100 causes of emergency admissions. Our findings suggest that drug poisoning imposes a greater burden on emergency care resources but has a less severe clinical course than other causes of admissions. Future research should focus on strategies to reduce the burden of drug poisoning on emergency medical systems.
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Psychiatry,  National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Tokyo,  Japan.
authors.forename: Yasuyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Okumura
authors.forename: Sayuri
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shimizu
authors.forename: Koichi B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Ishikawa
authors.forename: Shinya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Matsuda
authors.forename: Kiyohide
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fushimi
authors.forename: Hiroto
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ito