Table 2.
The association between PoCUS execution time and ED LOS and costs across different patient dispositions.
| Whole Population, N = 44,863 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No PoCUS | PoCUS | p | No PoCUS | PoCUS Within 1 h | p | No PoCUS | PoCUS Between 1 and 2 h | p | |
| OPD, N = 32,247 | 18,456 | 13,791 | 18,456 | 9743 | 18,456 | 2403 | |||
| LOS in ED (h) | 3.80 ± 5.77 | 3.74 ± 4.60 | 0.282 | 3.80 ± 5.77 | 3.33 ± 3.92 | <0.001 | 3.80 ± 5.77 | 3.82 ± 4.38 | 0.849 |
| Costs in ED (NT$) | 4367.9 ± 4216.2 | 4918.9 ± 3931.7 | <0.001 | 4367.9 ± 4216.2 | 4657.2 ± 3738.8 | <0.001 | 4367.9 ± 4216.2 | 5157.2 ± 4240.9 | <0.001 |
| Admission to ward (no ICU), N = 7730 |
5324 | 2406 | 5324 | 1542 | 5324 | 437 | |||
| LOS in ED (h) | 16.13 ± 14.56 | 14.78 ± 13.03 | <0.001 | 16.13 ± 14.56 | 13.28 ± 11.76 | <0.001 | 16.13 ± 14.56 | 16.26 ± 13.75 | 0.857 |
| Costs in ED (NT$) | 13,221.1 ± 9812.8 | 13,064.6 ± 9515.9 | 0.512 | 1322.1 ± 9812.8 | 12,820.6 ± 9169.8 | 0.137 | 13,221.1 ± 9812.8 | 13,571.4 ± 10,002.0 | 0.473 |
| Admission to ICU, N = 237 |
168 | 69 | 168 | 43 | 168 | 15 | |||
| LOS in ED (h) | 12.94 ± 13.26 | 16.40 ± 16.01 | 0.087 | 12.94 ± 13.26 | 13.32 ± 14.03 | 0.869 | 12.94 ± 13.26 | 15.59 ± 15.64 | 0.466 |
| Costs in ED (NT$) | 33,873.2 ± 36,233.5 | 33,246.1 ± 30,747.5 | 0.899 | 33,873.2 ± 36,233.5 | 26,144.8 ± 19,990.3 | 0.064 | 33,873.2 ± 36,233.5 | 32,197.0 ± 30,001.0 | 0.862 |
| Without CT, N = 31,193 | |||||||||
| No POCUS | POCUS | p | No POCUS | POCUS within 1 h | p | No POCUS | POCUS above 1 h | p | |
| OPD, N = 26,008 | 14,857 | 11,151 | 14,857 | 7865 | 14,857 | 1987 | |||
| LOS in ED (h) | 3.16 ± 5.27 | 3.12 ± 4.09 | 0.577 | 3.16 ± 5.27 | 2.79 ± 3.43 | <0.001 | 3.16 ± 5.27 | 3.14 ± 3.65 | 0.901 |
| Costs in ED (NT$) | 2906.6 ± 2864.2 | 3576.8 ± 2675.2 | <0.001 | 2906.6 ± 2864.2 | 3320.9 ± 2431.2 | <0.001 | 2906.6 ± 2864.2 | 3899.5 ± 3034.0 | <0.001 |
| Admission to ward (no ICU), N = 2179 |
1546 | 633 | 1546 | 357 | 1546 | 119 | |||
| LOS in ED (h) | 14.66 ± 14.66 | 12.91 ± 12.11 | 0.004 | 14.66 ± 14.66 | 10.52 ± 10.26 | <0.001 | 14.66 ± 14.66 | 14.89 ± 13.09 | 0.866 |
| Costs in ED (NT$) | 8303.4 ± 7860.9 | 7092.4 ± 6242.9 | <0.001 | 8303.4 ± 7860.9 | 6469.9 ± 5682.0 | <0.001 | 8303.4 ± 7860.9 | 7397.9 ± 7184.8 | 0.223 |
| Admission to ICU, N = 41 |
33 | 8 | 33 | 5 | 33 | 1 | |||
| LOS in ED (h) | 7.84 ± 10.10 | 12.09 ± 10.96 | 0.299 | 7.84 ± 10.10 | 6.90 ± 5.39 | 0.841 | 7.84 ± 10.10 | 25.00 ± 0.00 | - |
| Costs in ED (NT$) | 30,935.5 ± 37,952.3 | 30,410.1 ± 57,536.8 | 0.974 | 30,935.5 ± 37,952.3 | 8796.6 ± 4089.2 | 0.002 | 30,935.5 ± 37,952.3 | 3977.0 ± 0.00 | - |
| With CT, N = 13,670 | |||||||||
| No POCUS | POCUS | p | No POCUS | POCUS within 1 h | p | No POCUS | POCUS above 1 h | p | |
| OPD, N = 6239 | 3599 | 2640 | 3599 | 1878 | 3599 | 416 | |||
| LOS in ED (h) | 6.48 ± 6.85 | 6.35 ± 5.62 | 0.425 | 6.48 ± 6.85 | 5.62 ± 4.89 | <0.001 | 6.48 ± 6.85 | 7.06 ± 5.87 | 0.060 |
| Costs in ED (NT$) | 10,400.3 ± 3476.8 | 10,587.9 ± 3282.9 | 0.029 | 10,400.3 ± 3476.8 | 10,253.4 ± 2995.3 | 0.103 | 10,400.3 ± 3476.8 | 11,164.4 ± 4037.2 | <0.001 |
| Admission to ward (no ICU), N = 5551 |
3778 | 1773 | 3778 | 1185 | 3778 | 318 | |||
| LOS in ED (h) | 16.73 ± 14.48 | 15.44 ± 13.28 | 0.001 | 16.73 ± 14.48 | 14.11 ± 12.05 | <0.001 | 16.73 ± 14.48 | 16.77 ± 13.97 | 0.962 |
| Costs in ED (NT$) | 15,233.5 ± 9822.4 | 15,196.9 ± 9576.5 | 0.896 | 15,233.5 ± 9822.4 | 14,733.8 ± 9160.1 | 0.107 | 15,233.5 ± 9822.4 | 15,881.6 ± 9935.7 | 0.259 |
| Admission to ICU, N = 196 |
135 | 61 | 135 | 38 | 135 | 14 | |||
| LOS in ED (h) | 14.19 ± 13.67 | 16.96 ± 16.54 | 0.219 | 14.19 ± 13.67 | 14.16 ± 14.63 | 0.992 | 14.19 ± 13.67 | 14.91 ± 16.01 | 0.852 |
| Costs in ED (NT$) | 34,591.3 ± 35,910.6 | 33,618.0 ± 26,153.8 | 0.831 | 34,591.3 ± 35,910.6 | 28,427.4 ± 20,144.1 | 0.173 | 34,591.3 ± 35,910.6 | 34,212.7 ± 30,060.9 | 0.969 |
Student’s t-test, and chi-square tests, as appropriate; PoCUS: point of care ultrasonography; TWD: new Taiwan dollar; CT: computer tomography; OPD: outpatient disposition; ICU: intensive care unit; ED: emergency department; LOS: length of stay.