Impact of emergency department length of stay on anxiety and comfort in older people

Introduction: Older people are frequent emergency department (ED) users, a vulnerable population and often have long stays in the ED. The aim of this study was to determine whether ED length of stay (LOS) had an impact on older people's (aged >65 years) anxiety, comfort and adverse events. Methods: This prospective observational study was conducted in Melbourne, Australia. Patients (n = 301) from three EDs were classified by ED LOS: <4-hours (n = 89), 4-8 h (n = 136) and >8-hours (n = 76). Current state and trait anxiety and comfort were measured in ED. Adverse event data were collected from medical records. LOS groups were compared using Chi-Square and Kruskal-Wallis test. Results: There was no significant difference in Trait Anxiety Scores. Patients with ED LOS < 4-hours had lower median State Anxiety Scores (p = 0.003), were less likely to require ward admission (p < 0.001), and more likely to require short stay unit admission (p < 0.001). There were no significant differences between groups in comfort or adverse events during ED care or hospitalisation (for admitted patients). Conclusion: The impact of ED LOS on the anxiety of older ED users appears limited. There was no association identified between ED LOS and comfort during ED care or adverse events during ED care or hospitalisation.