Trends in Emergency Department Visits and Charges for Gout in the United States between 2006 and 2012

Sadao Jinno; Kohei Hasegawa; Tuhina Neogi; Tadahiro Goto; Maureen Dubreuil

doi:10.3899/jrheum.151432

Trends in Emergency Department Visits and Charges for Gout in the United States between 2006 and 2012

J Rheumatol. 2016 Aug;43(8):1589-92. doi: 10.3899/jrheum.151432. Epub 2016 Jun 1.

Authors

Sadao Jinno¹, Kohei Hasegawa², Tuhina Neogi², Tadahiro Goto², Maureen Dubreuil²

Affiliations

¹ From the Section of Rheumatology, and Section of Clinical Epidemiology Research and Training Unit, Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine; Department of Emergency Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital; Veterans Affairs (VA) Boston Healthcare System, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.S. Jinno, MD, MSc, Section of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine; K. Hasegawa, MD, MPH, Department of Emergency Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital; T. Neogi, MD, PhD, Section of Rheumatology, and Section of Clinical Epidemiology Research and Training Unit, Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine; T. Goto, MD, VA Boston Healthcare System; M. Dubreuil, MD, Section of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, and the VA Boston Healthcare System. Sadao.jinno@bmc.org.
² From the Section of Rheumatology, and Section of Clinical Epidemiology Research and Training Unit, Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine; Department of Emergency Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital; Veterans Affairs (VA) Boston Healthcare System, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.S. Jinno, MD, MSc, Section of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine; K. Hasegawa, MD, MPH, Department of Emergency Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital; T. Neogi, MD, PhD, Section of Rheumatology, and Section of Clinical Epidemiology Research and Training Unit, Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine; T. Goto, MD, VA Boston Healthcare System; M. Dubreuil, MD, Section of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, and the VA Boston Healthcare System.

Abstract

Objective: To examine temporal trends in the rate of gout emergency department (ED) visits and charges in the United States between 2006 and 2012.

Methods: A serial cross-sectional analysis of the Nationwide Emergency Department Sample.

Results: The rate of ED visits for gout in adults overall increased from 75.0 to 85.4 per 100,000 persons over the study period (14% increase, p < 0.001), and increased 29% for those aged 45-54 years. Nationwide ED charges increased from $156 million to $281 million (80% increase, p < 0.001).

Conclusion: Between 2006 and 2012, the rate of gout ED visits increased among US adults, most notably in those aged 45-54 years.

Keywords: EPIDEMIOLOGY; GOUT; OUTCOME ASSESSMENT.

MeSH terms

Adult
Age Factors
Aged
Cross-Sectional Studies
Emergency Service, Hospital / economics
Emergency Service, Hospital / trends*
Female
Gout / economics
Gout / therapy*
Health Care Costs
Hospital Charges
Hospitalization / economics
Hospitalization / trends*
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
United States

Grants and funding

P60 AR047785/AR/NIAMS NIH HHS/United States