Characteristics of Emergency Department Visits by Adults With Down Syndrome: A Single‐Institution Retrospective Perspective
Erin A. Hunt, Katrina F. Johnson, Elizabeth J. Lucus, Michael Neiger, Katherine M. HunoldABSTRACT
Background
Down syndrome, also known as Trisomy 21, is the most common chromosomal abnormality causing intellectual disability. The life expectancy for people with Down syndrome has increased considerably over the last few decades, and many of these patients struggle with the transition from pediatric to adult medical care. There is currently no information on how adults with Down syndrome use emergency departments (EDs). The objective of this study was to describe visits by adult patients with Down syndrome to an academic medical center.
Methods
This was a retrospective chart review study of all adult patients (age ≥ 18 years) with Down syndrome who presented to The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center (OSUWMC) EDs from January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2023. Selected patient and visit characteristics were collected by chart review. This was a descriptive study with data presented as n and percentage.
Results
There were 177 ED visits by 106 adults with Down syndrome during the study period. Most patients had a single ED visit (69.8%) and more than half the patients were under age 40 (52.9%). The most common chief complaints were abdominal pain (10.2%) and seizure (7.9%). The majority received laboratory testing (82.5%) and/or imaging (74.6%) This pattern was present across the age span. Most were discharged to place of residence (51.4%) but admission rates were higher (38.4%). Laboratory testing, imaging and admission rates were higher compared to local and national rates.
Conclusions
This description of ED visits by adult patients with Down syndrome provides insight into common presenting complaints, testing patterns, disposition, and post‐ED visits. Study data suggest that adult patients with Down syndrome may require different considerations when they present to adult EDs compared to a typical ED patient. Further studies are needed to generalize these results and identify ways to improve their ED care.