Accidents and Emergencies

[imoldernu]

Twice, in the past three days, while driving in our semi-rural neighborhood,we've had momentary scares from drivers coming in the opposite direction on two lane roads... distracted for some reason and heading toward me in my own lane. I guess that the current efforts to reduce distracted driving brought this closer to home, and I started thinking about the patient load on the hospital emergency rooms.
Here's a website that is overwhelming, with statistics of all kinds, but opened my eyes as to how often, at what age, and what reasons we go to emergency rooms.

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/ahcd/nhamcs_emergency/2011_ed_web_tables.pdf

Never thought of age as being a major factor, but find myself in the highest risk group. Understandingly not something we think about or fixate on, but after looking at some of the many charts and analyses, a new perspective on what is going on in the world about us, and a realization that we are very vulnerable.

More than you'd ever want to know, but kind of interesting to browse the numbers and to realize that we aren't immune to human frailties.

Am thinking back over the several years, and while I think of myself as being generally healthy... need two hands to count our unplanned visits to doctors, dentists and emergency rooms.

Any idea of your own risk probability?

 

[Dash man]

I upgraded to a car with a lot of those new safety features and they've already saved me several times. Love the blind spot indicators and the better quality rear cameras.


Enjoying life!

 

[razztazz]

I have been to an ER 3 times in the past 20 years.

ALL 3 were caused by doctors misdiagnosing me or treating me for something I didn't have in the first place and having an adverse drug reaction

Back in 1968 I went to an ER for acute appendicitis

 

[meierlde]

Looking at the data it is interesting how much the visits per capita increase between the 65 to 74 group and the over 75 group.

 

[travelover]

What I noticed was the racial disparity.


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[EastWest Gal]

What I noticed was the racial disparity.


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Having worked in an inner city hospital for 16 years that is not a surprise. Physician availability and type of insurance is a big part of that equation. You use the ER when that's all you have.


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[travelover]

Having worked in an inner city hospital for 16 years that is not a surprise. Physician availability and type of insurance is a big part of that equation. You use the ER when that's all you have.

That is what I surmised. An expensive way to administer health care.

 

[Alan]

I've been sent to the ER once by a doctor in my 40's, for suspected malaria (spent 3 nights in hospital). I took myself to a walk-in 24hr clinic last year at midnight on a Sunday with dizziness and irregular heart beat rather than go a hospital ER.

In my 20's I went to the ER twice with sporting injuries playing soccer.

I think the chances of me going to the ER again in the coming years will increase with age and my a-fib condition.