To investigate the association between emergency diagnoses and 1-year mortality across various noncancer conditions.
Approach:
Study Design: Linked primary care, hospital, and mortality records were analyzed from 1.7 million patients diagnosed with 13 non-neoplastic conditions from 1999 to 2019.
Emergency Diagnosis Definition: Defined as a diagnosis occurring on the day of or within 30 days following the start of an emergency hospital admission.
Data Analysis: Models adjusted for age, year of diagnosis, deprivation, comorbidity burden, and diagnosis source.
Key Findings:
Emergency diagnoses occurred in at least 20% of patients for nine conditions, including more than 30% of those with Parkinson's disease and 35% of those with COPD.
1-year mortality was at least 10 percentage points higher for emergency diagnoses in nine conditions.
Male participants with axial spondyloarthritis had 20% mortality vs. 2% for non-emergency diagnoses.
Emergency diagnosis was associated with longer hospital stays, e.g., male celiac disease patients spent a mean of 19 nights vs. 2 nights.
Interpretation:
Emergency diagnoses are linked to higher mortality and longer hospital stays across various noncancer conditions.
Limitations:
Inability to determine if emergency diagnosis contributed to poorer outcomes.
Potential differences in disease severity and characteristics not fully captured.
Reliance on accurate recording of diagnoses and dates.
Conclusion:
Patients diagnosed as emergencies are more likely to experience higher mortality and longer hospital stays.
