Table 1.
Demographic and Presenting Characteristics of the Study Patients (2007)
| Characteristic | All Visits (N = 4,873) | Admitted Visits (N = 3,188) | Not Admitted Visits (N = 1,685) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sex, n (%) | |||
| Male | 1,909 (39.2) | 1,259 (39.5) | 650 (38.6) |
| Female | 2,964 (60.8) | 1,929 (60.5) | 1,035 (61.4) |
| Age (yr), median | 82 | 82 | 81 |
| Race or ethnic group, n (%)* | |||
| Black or African American | 893 (18.3) | 574 (18.0) | 319 (18.9) |
| White | 3,452 (70.8) | 2,296 (72.0) | 1,156 (68.6) |
| Hispanic or Latino | 40 (0.8) | 26 (0.8) | 14 (0.8) |
| Asian | 25 (0.5) | 14 (0.4) | 11 (0.6) |
| American Indian/Alaska Native | 3 (<0.1) | 3 (0.1) | 0 (0) |
| Unknown or not reported | 460 (9.4) | 275 (8.6) | 185 (11.0) |
| Insurance status, n (%) | |||
| Medicare | 3,857 (79.2) | 2,503 (78.5) | 1,353 (80.3) |
| Medicaid | 576 (11.8) | 382 (12.0) | 194 (11.5) |
| Initial vital signs, mean (n) ±SD | |||
| Systolic blood pressure, mm Hg | 143 (4,703) ±30.3 | 141 (3,066) ±30.6 | 148 (1,637) ±29.1 |
| Diastolic blood pressure, mm Hg | 74 (4,703) ±16.5 | 73 (3,066) ±17.3 | 76 (1,637) ±14.7 |
| Pulse, beats/min | 81 (4,771) ±19.5 | 83 (3,121) ±20.9 | 78 (1,650) ±15.9 |
| Respiratory rate, breaths/min | 19 (4,748) ±4.5 | 19 (3,118) ±4.9 | 18 (1,630) ±3.5 |
| Oxygen saturation, % | 97 (4,203) ±4.3 | 97 (2,981) ±4.4 | 97 (1,222) ±4.0 |
| Temperature, °C | 36.5 (4,455) ±0.7 | 36.5 (2,880) ±0.7 | 36.4 (1,575) ±0.6 |
| Charlson comorbidity score, mean (±SD) | 0.79 (±0.86) | 0.80 (±0.87) | 0.77 (±0.86) |
| ESI level, mean (±SD)† | 2.7 (±0.7) | 2.5 (±0.6) | 3.2 (±0.7) |
| Most common chief complaints, frequency (%) | |||
| Accident, NOS (includes fall) | 582 (11.9) | 300 (9.4) | 282 (16.7) |
| Shortness of breath | 417 (8.6) | 364 (11.4) | 53 (3.2) |
| Chest pain | 368 (7.6) | 323 (10.1) | 45 (2.7) |
| Altered level of consciousness, NOS | 326 (6.7) | 265 (8.3) | 61 (3.6) |
| Abdominal pain, cramps, spasms, NOS | 235 (4.8) | 158 (5.0) | 77 (4.6) |
*
Race or ethnic group as recorded in the patient’s chart.
†
ESI score has five levels: 1 = most acute and 5 = least acute.
ESI = Emergency Severity Index; NOS = not otherwise specified.