Thai Geriatric Emergency Patients’ Registry in Tertiary Care Hospitals
Maneekun W, MD1, Thatphet P, MD1, Kotruchin P, MD, PhD1, Tantibundit P, MD2
Affiliation : 1 Department of Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Thailand 2 Department of Emergency Medicine, Khon Kaen Hospital, Khon Kaen, Thailand
Background : Emergency department (ED) is one of the most crucial department to take care of the elderly patients. However, there
is limited data about the characteristics of emergency elderly patients in Asia as well as the factors that have impact on the need of
life-saving intervention (LSI) and hospital admission.
Objective : To study characteristics and factors that affect the need of LSI and hospital admission of the elderly patients who visit the
ED.
Materials and Methods : This retrospective descriptive study conducted at 2 hospitals, 1) Srinagarind hospital, Faculty of medicine,
Khon Kaen University, Thailand, and 2) Khon Kaen Hospital, a tertiary-care center of Northeast region of Thailand. All patients aged
>65 years old who visited the ED from any causes between 1st January and to 31st December 2015 were enrolled. Demographic data
and clinical characteristics were collected.
Results : A total of 657 elderly patients was enrolled, average age was 73.5 years old, 57.7% were women. Ten percent of the patients
were in the resuscitation level. Nearly one-fourth (23.9%) received the life-saving intervention. The admission rate was 24.7%. The
significant factors that related with receiving the LSI were: 1) using emergency medical service (EMS) (OR 11.87, 95% CI 7.47 to
18.87), 2) having comorbidities (OR 1.27, 95% CI 1.04 to 1.58), and 3) respiratory infection (OR 5.98, 95% CI 3.28 to 10.92). And,
significant factors that related with hospital admission were: 1) age >65 years old (OR 0.91, 95% CI 0.87 to 0.91), and 2) using EMS
(OR 55.90, 95% CI 31.30 to 99.85).
Conclusion : The elderly patients with respiratory infection should have a thorough clinical observation as well as patients aged >65
years old, patients with comorbidities and patients who used EMS to reach the ED because these patients tended to have poorer
prognoses.
Keywords : Geriatric, Elderly, Thai, Emergency room
