Factors Affecting Unscheduled Return Visits to the Emergency Department among Minor Head Injury Patients

Table 1

Characteristics of returning and non-returning minor head injury patients.

	Overall; ()	Returning patient; ()	Non-returning; patients; ()	value
Male [no. (%)]	1452(52)	30 (53)	1333 (48)	0.52
Age (yr)	33.0 ± 24.3	41.9 ± 24.7	32.8 ± 24.3
ED factors
Length of ED stay (hr)	3.1 ± 10.7	3.9 ± 6.5	3.1 ± 10.8	0.35
Physician seniority (yr)	4.3 ± 2.1	4.0 ± 2.3	4.3 ± 2.1	0.38
Total trauma patients on the visit day	76.6 ± 11.9	77.0 ± 12.0	76.6 ± 11.9	0.83
ED visits during nonoffice hours [number (%)]
Weekend and holiday	1011 (36)	16 (29)	995 (37)	0.21
Night Shifts	1762 (63)	33 (58)	1729 (63)	0.72
Triage, levels 1-2	336 (12)	9 (16)	327 (12)	0.36
Triage level [number (%)]
Level 1	6 (0.2)	0 (0)	6 (0.2)
Level 2	330 (12)	9 (16)	321 (12)
Level 3	1935 (69)	40 (70)	1895 (69)
Level 4	406 (14)	7 (12)	399 (15)
Level 5	138 (5)	1 (2)	137 (5)
Initial vital signs
Body temperature (°C)	36.5 ± 0.6	36.5 ± 0.6	36.5 ± 0.6	0.82
Respiratory rate (times/min)	20 ± 3	19 ± 2	20 ± 3	0.07
Pulse rate (times/min)	95 ± 23	94 ± 19	95 ± 23	0.78
Mean arterial pressure (mmHg)	107 ± 31	100 ± 37	107 ± 31	0.17
GCS < 15 [number (%)]	101 (4)	3 (5)	98 (4)	0.49
Comorbidity [number (%)]	24 (0.9)	10 (17.5)	14 (0.5)	<0.00
Diabetes mellitus	7 (0.3)	3 (5.3)	4 (0.2)	<0.00
Hypertension	16 (0.6)	9 (15.8)	7 (0.3)	<0.00
Liver cirrhosis	1 (0.04)	0 (0)	1 (0.04)	0.89
End-stage renal disease	4 (0.1)	2 (3.5)	2 (0.1)	<0.00
Examination provided [number (%)]
Blood test	147 (5)	10 (18)	137 (5)	<0.00
Radiograph	1366 (49)	33 (58)	1333 (48)	0.15
CT	750 (27)	22 (39)	728 (26)	0.0

significant in comparison between groups; ED, emergency department; GCS, Glasgow Coma Scale; CT, computed tomography.