Emergency Department Utilisation for Inflammatory Bowel Disease in the United States from 2006 to 2014

Background: Despite advances in treatment, patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) frequently require emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalisations.

Aims: To analyse trends in ED visits and subsequent hospitalisations for IBD in the United States (US).

Methods: Data were analysed from the Nationwide Emergency Department Sample (NEDS) years 2006-2014. The NEDS is the largest all-payer ED database in the US, weighted to represent 135 million visits/year. IBD was identified using ICD-9 codes for Crohn's disease (CD) or ulcerative colitis (UC). Surgeries were identified using procedure codes.

Results: The frequency of IBD-ED visits increased 51.8%, from 90 846 visits in 2006 to 137 946 in 2014, which was statistically significant in linear regression. For comparison, all-case ED use between 2006 and 2014 increased 14.8%. In-patient hospitalisations from the ED decreased 12.1% for IBD (from 64.7% rate of hospitalisation from the ED in 2006 to 52.6% in 2014), with a UC:CD ratio of 1.2:1 in 2006 and 1.3:1 in 2014. Chi-square analysis revealed that this was a significant decrease. Surgery rates also showed a statistically significant decrease. The mean ED charge per patient rose 102.5% and the aggregate national cost of IBD-ED visits increased 207.5%. CD accounted for over twice as many visits as UC in both years. UC, age, male gender, highest income quartile, private insurance, Medicaid/Medicare, and tobacco use were associated with in-patient admissions.

Conclusions: The number of ED visits due to IBD and associated charges have continued to rise, while the rates of in-patient hospitalisations referred from the ED and surgeries have decreased.