Epidemiological characteristics of elderly emergency visits in Wenzhou.

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.