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Table 2 Presenting complaint, illness severity, acute cognitive status, and diagnoses by age group (< 65 years, 65–84 years and ≥ 85 years)

From: Factors associated with admission to bed-based care: observational prospective cohort study in a multidisciplinary same day emergency care unit (SDEC)

 

Age group, years

All

N = 533

< 65

N = 117

65–84

N = 227

≥ 85

N = 189

p

Presenting complaint, most frequenta

 Decreased mobility

256 (48)

14 (12)

120 (53)

122 (65)

< 0.0001

 Increased care needs

230 (43)

11 (9)

103 (45)

116 (61)

< 0.0001

 Breathlessness

198 (37)

50 (43)

79 (35)

69 (37)

0.34

 Falls

106 (20)

4 (3)

39 (17)

63 (33)

< 0.0001

 Fatigue, weight loss, reduced oral intake

104 (20)

17 (15)

49 (22)

38 (20)

0.29

 Abdominal symptoms (pain, bloating, diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting, constipation)

104 (20)

28 (24)

42 (19)

34 (18)

0.39

 Confusion/altered behaviour

96 (18)

3 (3)

40 (18)

53 (28)

< 0.0001

 Other respiratory symptoms (cough, wheeze, sore throat)

80 (15)

24 (21)

32 (14)

24 (13)

0.16

 Chest pain/tachycardia/palpitations

57 (11)

20 (17)

27 (12)

10 (5)

0.004

Illness severity

 NEWS > 4

102 (19)

16 (14)

48 (22)

38 (20)

0.23

 SIRS > 1

148 (28)

28 (24)

69 (30)

51 (27)

0.67

Diagnosis, most frequenta

 Bacterial Infection (LRTI>UTI > cellulitis)

214 (40)

47 (40)

89 (39)

78 (41)

0.91

 Dehydration (clinical diagnosis)

163 (31)

18 (15)

73 (32)

72 (38)

< 0.0001

 Anaemia

66 (12)

16 (14)

28 (12)

22 (12)

0.75

 Electrolyte derangement

58 (11)

5 (4)

27 (12)

26 (14)

0.03

 Heart Failure

57 (11)

3 (3)

21 (9)

33 (17)

< 0.0001

 Acute Kidney Injury

51 (10)

5 (4)

24 (11)

22 (12)

0.15

Acute cognitive assessment

 Delirium

87 (16)

1 (1)

40 (18)

46 (24)

< 0.0001

 AMTS < 9

160 (30)

4 (3)

62 (27)

94 (50)

< 0.0001

Diagnostics and Interventions

 

 Point-of-care blood test

444 (83)

89 (76)

193 (85)

162 (86)

0.06

 Laboratory blood test

396 (74)

80 (68)

170 (75)

146 (77)

0.22

 Any X-ray

302 (57)

48 (41)

130 (57)

124 (66)

< 0.0001

 Intravenous treatment (e.g. antibiotics, blood, iron, or furosemide)

305 (57)

57 (49)

129 (57)

119 (63)

0.05

 Oral medication (e.g. antibiotics, analgesia, end of life medications, laxatives)

241 (45)

48 (41)

105 (46)

88 (47)

0.59

 Medication stopped

116 (22)

8 (7)

45 (20)

63 (33)

< 0.0001

 Therapy input required

94 (18)

4 (3)

40 (18)

50 (26)

< 0.0001

Ambulatory outcome

 Remained ambulatory at 30 daysb

315 (60)

96 (87)

128 (57)

91 (48)

< 0.0001

 Ambulatory pathway after first assessment

381 (71)

109 (93)

153 (67)

119 (63)

< 0.0001

 Admitted to hospital after first assessment

152 (29)

8 (7)

74 (33)

70 (37)

 

 Acute Hospital

47 (9)

5 (4)

25 (11)

17 (9)

 

 EMU Bed

90 (17)

3 (3)

42 (19)

45 (24)

 

 Other Community Hospital

15 (2)

0 (0)

7 (3)

8 (4)

 

 Unplanned admission within 30 days

58 (11)

8 (5)

23 (10)

27 (14)

 

Mortality

 Death ≤ 30 days

31 (6)

1 (0)

14 (6)

16 (10)

0.03

 Death ≤ 1 yearc

138 (28)

7 (6)

57 (26)

74 (42)

< 0.0001

  1. aPatients could have more than one presenting complaint or diagnosis
  2. bFor 8 patients, 30-day outcome was unavailable
  3. cData unavailable on 10 patients
  4. LRTI lower respiratory tract infection, UTI urinary tract infection
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BMC Geriatrics

ISSN: 1471-2318

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