BACKGROUND: The immediate and long-term impact of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak on emergency department (ED) visits and hospital expenditures for these visits has not been thoroughly investigated. The objectives of this retrospective observational study investigated the impact of SARS outbreak on ED visits and the cost of these visits in a designated SARS medical center. METHODS: Data related to the total number of ED visits and their costs were collected for the SARS epidemic period in 2003 and the same period in the preceding year in 2002. Data collected included total number of ED visits, services provided, triage categories, and total expenditures for all patients. Data for before and during the outbreak were retrieved and compared. RESULTS: At the peak of the SARS epidemic, the reduction in daily ED visits reached 51.6% of pre-epidemic numbers (p < 0.01). In pediatric, trauma and non-trauma patients, the maximum mean decreases in number of visits were 80.0% (p < 0.01), 57.6% (p < 0.01) and 40.8% (p < 0.01), respectively. In triage 1, 2 and 3 patients, the maximum mean decreases were 18.1% (p < 0.01), 55.9% (p < 0.01) and 53.7% (p < 0.01), respectively. The maximum decrease in total costs was 37.7% (p < 0.01). The maximum mean costs per patient increased 35.9% (p < 0.01). The proportions of increases in mean costs for each patient were attributed to laboratory investigations (31.4%), radiography (21.9%) and medications (29.5%). CONCLUSION: The SARS outbreak resulted in a marked reduction in the number of ED visits which persisted for 3 months after the end of the epidemic. Total cost of treating individual patients showed a simultaneous marked increase, while overall operational costs in the ED showed a marked decrease. The increased total cost for each patient was attributed to the increased number of diagnostic procedures to screen for possible SARS in the ED.
BACKGROUND: The immediate and long-term impact of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak on emergency department (ED) visits and hospital expenditures for these visits has not been thoroughly investigated. The objectives of this retrospective observational study investigated the impact of SARS outbreak on ED visits and the cost of these visits in a designated SARS medical center. METHODS: Data related to the total number of ED visits and their costs were collected for the SARS epidemic period in 2003 and the same period in the preceding year in 2002. Data collected included total number of ED visits, services provided, triage categories, and total expenditures for all patients. Data for before and during the outbreak were retrieved and compared. RESULTS: At the peak of the SARS epidemic, the reduction in daily ED visits reached 51.6% of pre-epidemic numbers (p < 0.01). In pediatric, trauma and non-traumapatients, the maximum mean decreases in number of visits were 80.0% (p < 0.01), 57.6% (p < 0.01) and 40.8% (p < 0.01), respectively. In triage 1, 2 and 3 patients, the maximum mean decreases were 18.1% (p < 0.01), 55.9% (p < 0.01) and 53.7% (p < 0.01), respectively. The maximum decrease in total costs was 37.7% (p < 0.01). The maximum mean costs per patient increased 35.9% (p < 0.01). The proportions of increases in mean costs for each patient were attributed to laboratory investigations (31.4%), radiography (21.9%) and medications (29.5%). CONCLUSION: The SARS outbreak resulted in a marked reduction in the number of ED visits which persisted for 3 months after the end of the epidemic. Total cost of treating individual patients showed a simultaneous marked increase, while overall operational costs in the ED showed a marked decrease. The increased total cost for each patient was attributed to the increased number of diagnostic procedures to screen for possible SARS in the ED.
Authors: Christian Drosten; Stephan Günther; Wolfgang Preiser; Sylvie van der Werf; Hans-Reinhard Brodt; Stephan Becker; Holger Rabenau; Marcus Panning; Larissa Kolesnikova; Ron A M Fouchier; Annemarie Berger; Ana-Maria Burguière; Jindrich Cinatl; Markus Eickmann; Nicolas Escriou; Klaus Grywna; Stefanie Kramme; Jean-Claude Manuguerra; Stefanie Müller; Volker Rickerts; Martin Stürmer; Simon Vieth; Hans-Dieter Klenk; Albert D M E Osterhaus; Herbert Schmitz; Hans Wilhelm Doerr Journal: N Engl J Med Date: 2003-04-10 Impact factor: 91.245
Authors: Susan M Poutanen; Donald E Low; Bonnie Henry; Sandy Finkelstein; David Rose; Karen Green; Raymond Tellier; Ryan Draker; Dena Adachi; Melissa Ayers; Adrienne K Chan; Danuta M Skowronski; Irving Salit; Andrew E Simor; Arthur S Slutsky; Patrick W Doyle; Mel Krajden; Martin Petric; Robert C Brunham; Allison J McGeer Journal: N Engl J Med Date: 2003-03-31 Impact factor: 91.245
Authors: Thomas G Ksiazek; Dean Erdman; Cynthia S Goldsmith; Sherif R Zaki; Teresa Peret; Shannon Emery; Suxiang Tong; Carlo Urbani; James A Comer; Wilina Lim; Pierre E Rollin; Scott F Dowell; Ai-Ee Ling; Charles D Humphrey; Wun-Ju Shieh; Jeannette Guarner; Christopher D Paddock; Paul Rota; Barry Fields; Joseph DeRisi; Jyh-Yuan Yang; Nancy Cox; James M Hughes; James W LeDuc; William J Bellini; Larry J Anderson Journal: N Engl J Med Date: 2003-04-10 Impact factor: 91.245
Authors: Minu Agarwal; Amar Udare; Michael Patlas; Milita Ramonas; Amer A Alaref; Radu Rozenberg; Donald L Ly; Dmitry S Golev; Ken Mascola; Christian B van der Pol Journal: CMAJ Open Date: 2020-09-14
Authors: Nicholas W Sheets; Oluwatosin S Fawibe; Ahmed Mahmoud; Bhani Chawla-Kondal; Napatkamon Ayutyanont; David S Plurad Journal: Am Surg Date: 2021-07-04 Impact factor: 0.688
Authors: Paul Buntine; Emogene S Aldridge; Simon Craig; Dianne Crellin; Julian Stella; Stephen D Gill; Breanna Wright; Rob D Mitchell; Glenn Arendts; Helen Rawson; Amanda M Rojek Journal: Emerg Med Australas Date: 2022-05-27 Impact factor: 2.279