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Background <p>Incarcerated individuals face unique healthcare access barriers. Emergency departments (EDs) serve as critical access points for acute care.</p> Aims <p>The aim of this study was to examine demographic and clinical characteristics of incarcerated ED patients and identify predictors of frequent ED visits.</p> Methods <p>This retrospective study included incarcerated adults (≥ 18&#xa0;years) presenting to the ED from Tekirdağ Correctional Facility between January 2024 and January 2025. Demographics, presenting complaints, diagnoses, comorbidities, and clinical outcomes were recorded. Patients were categorized as non-frequent (1–4 visits) or frequent (≥ 5 visits) ED users. Multivariable logistic regression identified independent predictors of frequent visits.</p> Results <p>The study included 768 patients with 1,213 ED visits. Mean age was 38.5 ± 12.9&#xa0;years, and 95.7% were male. Overall comorbidity prevalence was 15.1%, rising dramatically to 87.5% among frequent ED users (4.2% of patients). Hospitalization rate was 6.5%, with median length of stay of 4&#xa0;days and in-hospital mortality of 0.5%. The most common complaints were chest pain (15.5%), falls on the same level (9.7%), and abdominal pain (6.8%). Multivariable regression identified respiratory (OR = 27.2), neurological (OR = 14.9), and psychiatric (OR = 10.7) comorbidities as the strongest predictors of frequent visits. Younger age and foreign nationality (OR = 4.98) were also significantly associated with frequent ED visits.</p> Conclusions <p>Chronic disease burden drives ED utilization in incarcerated populations, with dramatic escalation among frequent users. Enhanced chronic disease management, systematic surveillance, and targeted monitoring of high-risk subgroups—particularly those with respiratory, neurological, and psychiatric comorbidities—are essential to reduce ED utilization and improve health outcomes in this vulnerable population.</p>

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Presentation, management and outcomes of incarcerated patients presenting to the emergency department

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年3月25日

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  • Mehmet Taylan Koçer,
  • İbrahim Altundağ,
  • Şefik Meriç Uysal,
  • Yasin Sağlam

摘要

Background

Incarcerated individuals face unique healthcare access barriers. Emergency departments (EDs) serve as critical access points for acute care.

Aims

The aim of this study was to examine demographic and clinical characteristics of incarcerated ED patients and identify predictors of frequent ED visits.

Methods

This retrospective study included incarcerated adults (≥ 18 years) presenting to the ED from Tekirdağ Correctional Facility between January 2024 and January 2025. Demographics, presenting complaints, diagnoses, comorbidities, and clinical outcomes were recorded. Patients were categorized as non-frequent (1–4 visits) or frequent (≥ 5 visits) ED users. Multivariable logistic regression identified independent predictors of frequent visits.

Results

The study included 768 patients with 1,213 ED visits. Mean age was 38.5 ± 12.9 years, and 95.7% were male. Overall comorbidity prevalence was 15.1%, rising dramatically to 87.5% among frequent ED users (4.2% of patients). Hospitalization rate was 6.5%, with median length of stay of 4 days and in-hospital mortality of 0.5%. The most common complaints were chest pain (15.5%), falls on the same level (9.7%), and abdominal pain (6.8%). Multivariable regression identified respiratory (OR = 27.2), neurological (OR = 14.9), and psychiatric (OR = 10.7) comorbidities as the strongest predictors of frequent visits. Younger age and foreign nationality (OR = 4.98) were also significantly associated with frequent ED visits.

Conclusions

Chronic disease burden drives ED utilization in incarcerated populations, with dramatic escalation among frequent users. Enhanced chronic disease management, systematic surveillance, and targeted monitoring of high-risk subgroups—particularly those with respiratory, neurological, and psychiatric comorbidities—are essential to reduce ED utilization and improve health outcomes in this vulnerable population.