Özet:

OBJECTIVE: In this study, it was aimed to evaluate the general characteristics of patients aged 65 and over who applied to the emergency department of a state hospital. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In this study, records of patients aged 65 and over who applied to Emergency Department of Kastamonu State Hospital between 01.01.2018 and 31.12.2018 were reviewed retrospectively. Demographic features of patients (age, gender), diagnosis according to international disease code (ICD), seasonal distribution, most frequently consulted branches and hospitalization rates were evaluated. All patients over 65 years old were included in the study. RESULTS: During the study period, 87732 patients were admitted to the emergency department of Kastamonu State Hospital, with a total number of 159132 admissions. 17.4% (15224) of the patients and 16.8% (26769) of the applications belonged to the 65-year-old and older patient population. 8342 (54.7%) female and 6882 (45.2%) male patients with a mean age of 74.6 ± 7.6 were included in the study. According to WHO categorization, 55.0% (8413) of the cases were in the youngest-old category, 31.1% (4759) were in the middle-old category and 13.8% (2110) were in the oldest-old category. The most common application was observed in female patients in all age categories. The most common reasons for admission were, according to the frequency in decreasing order (depending on ICD codes), musculoskeletal system diseases, gastrointestinal system disorders, and traumas. Consultation was requested for 30.1% (8074) of all admissions. While only 25.1% (3845) of the patients had one emergency department admission, 74.9% (11437) had multiple (2-45 times) emergency department admissions. CONCLUSIONS: In the geriatric population aged 65 and over, the most common reason for admitting to the emergency department is musculoskeletal diseases. The majority of elderly patients (79.4%) can be discharged with simple outpatient interventions.

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