Costs of Treating Chest Pain in the Emergency Department
Author Information
Author(s): Forberg Jakob L, Henriksen Louise S, Edenbrandt Lars, Ekelund Ulf
Primary Institution: Lund University Hospital
Hypothesis
What are the direct hospital costs for unselected chest pain patients attending the emergency department?
Conclusion
The costs for chest pain patients are significant and mainly due to the time spent in the hospital, indicating a need for better diagnostic strategies.
Supporting Evidence
- The mean cost per patient visit was 26.8 kSEK.
- Admission time accounted for 73% of all costs.
- Only 31% of admitted patients were diagnosed with acute coronary syndrome.
Takeaway
When people go to the hospital with chest pain, it costs a lot of money, mostly because they stay in the hospital for a long time. We need to find better ways to check if they really need to stay.
Methodology
The study included 1000 consecutive patients with chest pain who visited the emergency department, and costs were retrieved from the hospital's economy system.
Potential Biases
Potential biases may arise from the retrospective nature of the study and the lack of a systematic diagnostic protocol.
Limitations
The study was retrospective and conducted at a single hospital, which may limit the generalizability of the results.
Participant Demographics
{"median_age":65,"male_percentage":57,"smoking_percentage":22,"hypertension_percentage":31,"diabetes_percentage":11,"congestive_heart_failure_percentage":15,"previous_angina_percentage":38,"previous_myocardial_infarction_percentage":28,"previous_pci_percentage":6,"previous_cabg_percentage":10}
Statistical Information
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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