Summary
Evaluating patients with diabetes in a diabetes-specific emergency department short-stay unit
Affiliation of the authors
DOI
Quote
Matías Soler P, Gil Mosquera M, Perales Muñoz R, Corbatón Anchuelo A, González del Castillo JM. Evaluating patients with diabetes in a diabetes-specific emergency department short-stay unit. Rev Esp Urg Emerg. 2024;3:20–2
Summary
BACKGROUND. The COVID-19 pandemic led to poor continuity of care at the primary care level, a situation that increased the number of patients with diabetes attended in hospital emergency departments. Our department created a diabetes-specific shortstay unit for managing recently diagnosed disease in patients who did not require hospitalization.
OBJECTIVE. To evaluate the results of opening the short-stay unit, including whether the course of disease improved.
MATERIALS AND METHODS. Single-center, retrospective, observational analysis. We included all patients over the age of 18 years treated in the diabetese short-stay unit between October 1, 2021, and June 30, 2022. Demographic and metabolic data were extracted from records, as were patient revisits and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels after treatment.
RESULTS. Sixty patients were included; 58.18% were men, and the median age was 59 years. Cardiovascular disease was common and diabetes was poorly controlled. After the short-stay unit was opened, the 30-day revisiting rate for diabetic complications was minimal, at 1.82%, whereas the all-cause revisiting rate was 10.91%. HbA1c levels decreased over a 6-month period.
CONCLUSIONS. Diabetes control improved after implementation of the short-stay unit. Such short stay units could be cost-efficient.