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Prioritizing the timely admission of older patients from the emergency department (ED) to appropriate wards is essential to reduce adverse events, such as falls and infections, and to decrease the duration of hospital stays. Recent cohort studies, both observational and prospective, have demonstrated that elderly patients who experienced prolonged or overnight stays in the ED had a higher in-hospital mortality rate compared to those who were admitted earlier to inpatient care. Efficient patient flow and early admission from the ED to appropriate wards are crucial strategies for improving survival rates and reducing morbidity among older patients.
References
Roussel M, Teissandier D, Yordanov Y, et al. Overnight Stay in the Emergency Department and Mortality in Older Patients. JAMA internal medicine. 2023;183(12):1378-1385. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2023.5961
Wu L, Chen X, Khalemsky A, et al. The Association between Emergency Department Length of Stay and In-Hospital Mortality in Older Patients Using Machine Learning: An Observational Cohort Study. Journal of clinical medicine. 2023;12(14):4750-. doi:10.3390/jcm12144750