You may be surprised by these statistics
July 1, 2002
You may be surprised by these statistics
Here are key findings of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report on emergency department visits from 1997 to 2000:
- The most frequently recorded injury diagnoses was open wounds, which accounted for 18% of injuries. Injuries to the hand, wrist, and fingers were most common, comprising 13% of injuries.
- The African-American population used the ED at a rate 67% higher than of the white population in 2000.
- Stomach and abdominal pain, chest pain, and fever were the most common reasons for an ED visit.
- There was an increase in visits with a primary diagnosis of chest pain or abdominal pain for women 45 and over.
- There were 1.3 million visits due to adverse drug reactions or other complications from medical care in 2000.
- About 14% of patients arrived at the ED by ambulance.
- About 16% of the visits were deemed to be emergent (the patient should be seen within 15 minutes of arrival), and 31% of visits were classified as urgent (the patient should be seen within an hour of arrival).
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta. National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey: 2000 Emergency Department Summary.
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