Emergency department utilization by spina bifida patients in Florida 2016-2020.
Sarah Whitteker, Dhyey Desai, Hannah Baker and 3 others
PMID 40059481WHAT IT FOUND
Young adults with spina bifida in Florida used the emergency department most, especially those aged 20 to 29.
Common reasons included infections, seizures, and bowel issues. These presentations suggest gaps in routine outpatient care during the transition from paediatric to adult services.
Key findings
01Patients aged 20 to 29 had the highest number of emergency department encounters (24.1%), while those aged 0 to 9 had the least (7.0%).
02The most common presenting diagnoses were infections (2.3%), followed by epilepsy and seizure (1.7%), bowel dysfunction (1.2%), and cystitis (1.1%).
03Infectious presentations varied by age, with adults aged 30 to 39 more likely to present with cellulitis and ulcers, and transitional patients aged 20 to 29 more likely to present with cystitis and pyelonephritis.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study is retrospective and relies on ICD-10 billing codes, which may not accurately reflect the true clinical reason for the visit. Individual patient medical history and details of the emergency department visits were not available, so the root causes of the encounters could not be determined. The data is limited to Florida, so findings may not generalise to other regions with different healthcare structures. The analysis does not account for whether these emergency visits were truly preventable or if they represented appropriate use of emergency services for acute complications.
Declared interests
The paper does not report any conflicts of interest or funding sources.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that these emergency visits were definitely preventable. The study identifies the diagnoses but does not have access to clinical history to determine if outpatient care was available or appropriate for each specific encounter.