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Background <p>To investigate disease spectrum and related epidemiological characteristics of geriatric patients in the emergency department (ED), identify peak visiting hours within 24&#xa0;h, and provide insights for targeted disease prevention, rehabilitative care, and health promotion among the older adults.</p> Methods <p>We conducted a cross-sectional study in the ED of the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University. All consecutive patients aged 60 years and above who visited the department between January and December 2023 were eligible for inclusion. We collected and analyzed data on patient demographics (gender, age), visit timing, and diagnosis. Descriptive statistics (frequency and percentage) were used to summarize the data, and inferential analyses, including the chi-square (χ²) test and Fisher‘s exact test, were conducted to identify trends and patterns.</p> Results <p>228, 713 geriatric patients, accounting for 56.09% of all ED visits, were included in the study. The male-to-female ratio was 1.35:1. The age group of 60–70 years had the highest number of visits. The most common diseases were respiratory system diseases (20%), circulatory system diseases (15.81%), digestive system diseases (15.77%), and neurological diseases (12.32%). Peak visiting hours were identified as 08:00 to 10:00 in the morning. In addition, the results showed that the age range (χ² = 3125.2, <i>p</i> &lt; 0.001) and gender (χ²= 2137.6, <i>p</i> &lt; 0.001) of the older adult has significant different disease type distribution.</p> Conclusions <p>Emergency practice should prioritize preventing and managing circulatory and respiratory diseases in older patients through targeted health education, optimized diagnostic and treatment pathways, and a dedicated “green channel” to expedite care.</p> Clinical trial number <p>Not applicable.</p>

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Epidemiological characteristics of elderly emergency visits in Wenzhou

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

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  • 发表日期：

    2026年1月20日

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  • Guohua Zhou,
  • Shuangshuang Lin,
  • Haiyan Wu,
  • Xiaojing Jin,
  • Xiaojie Pan,
  • Ting Yuan,
  • Yingying Lin,
  • Haixia Chen,
  • Suichai Lin,
  • Xinqun Li,
  • Xiuyun Zheng

摘要

Background

To investigate disease spectrum and related epidemiological characteristics of geriatric patients in the emergency department (ED), identify peak visiting hours within 24 h, and provide insights for targeted disease prevention, rehabilitative care, and health promotion among the older adults.

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional study in the ED of the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University. All consecutive patients aged 60 years and above who visited the department between January and December 2023 were eligible for inclusion. We collected and analyzed data on patient demographics (gender, age), visit timing, and diagnosis. Descriptive statistics (frequency and percentage) were used to summarize the data, and inferential analyses, including the chi-square (χ²) test and Fisher‘s exact test, were conducted to identify trends and patterns.

Results

228, 713 geriatric patients, accounting for 56.09% of all ED visits, were included in the study. The male-to-female ratio was 1.35:1. The age group of 60–70 years had the highest number of visits. The most common diseases were respiratory system diseases (20%), circulatory system diseases (15.81%), digestive system diseases (15.77%), and neurological diseases (12.32%). Peak visiting hours were identified as 08:00 to 10:00 in the morning. In addition, the results showed that the age range (χ² = 3125.2, p < 0.001) and gender (χ²= 2137.6, p < 0.001) of the older adult has significant different disease type distribution.

Conclusions

Emergency practice should prioritize preventing and managing circulatory and respiratory diseases in older patients through targeted health education, optimized diagnostic and treatment pathways, and a dedicated “green channel” to expedite care.

Clinical trial number

Not applicable.