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National Case Volumes and Gender Disparities in Emergency Department Utilization for Psychiatric Emergencies: A Population-Based Claims Data Analysis

Nnenna Okafor, E. Okoro, Michael M Bojerenu, Nnaedozie Umeani, Daniel Udegbe, Chinyere K Omeh, C. G. Nwume, Tolulope D Alabi et al.

Cureus, 2024

2 citations

Abstract

Introduction The utilization of emergency departments (EDs) for managing psychiatric emergencies has significantly increased in the United States because of the increasing prevalence of mental health disorders. This study examined national case volumes and sex disparities in ED visits for psychiatric emergencies using data from the Nationwide Emergency Department Sample (NEDS). Methods This retrospective analysis included adult ED visits for psychiatric emergencies identified using relevant International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision (ICD-10) codes. Primary endpoints included national case volumes by sex. Hospitalizations with age < 18 years and those with missing data on sex were excluded. Secondary endpoints included inpatient mortality, ED and inpatient costs, admission rates, discharge disposition, length of stay (LOS), and number of procedures. Results In 2021, there were approximately 143.5 million ED visits in the United States, with 7,978,490 of these being for psychiatric emergencies. The most common presentations were substance abuse and intoxication (5,119,086 (64.2%)), severe bipolar disorder (1,912,670 (24%)), and anxiety or panic attacks (1,015,486 (12.7%)). Approximately 3,997,223 (50.1%) were women, and 3,981,267 (49.9%) were men. Men were older (mean age: 45 versus 43 years; P<0.001), were more likely to be uninsured (712,647 (17.9%) versus 497,658 (12.5%); P<0.001), and had a higher Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) (CCI ≥ 2: 792,272 (19.9%)…

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