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Table 2 Presenting complaints

From: Abnormal vital signs are strong predictors for intensive care unit admission and in-hospital mortality in adults triaged in the emergency department - a prospective cohort study

Table 2.a.

Most common presenting complaint

  
  

N

N (%)

Mortality

 

Abdominal complaint

1265

20.1

3.1

 

Abdominal pain

768

12.2

2.5

 

Chest pain

611

9.8

1.5

 

Dyspnoea

565

9.0

7.3

 

Neurological

507

8.1

2.4

 

Fever/unspecified infection

427

6.8

1.4

 

No adequate category

360

5.7

5.0

 

Extremity swelling/pain

339

5.4

0.3

 

Cardiac complaints*

246

3.9

2.8

 

Syncope

219

3.5

0.5

 

Extremity injury

206

3.3

0.0

 

Abnormal lab values

154

2.5

3.2

 

Hip fracture

151

2.4

0.1

 

Neck/back pain

147

2.3

0.7

 

Headache

141

2.3

0.0

Table 2.b.

Presenting complaints rated after mortality

 
  

N

N (%)

Mortality

 

Dyspnoea, ns

113

1.8

11.5

 

Altered level of consciousness

94

1.5

10.6

 

Aphasia

64

1.0

7.8

 

Vomiting blood

74

1.2

6.8

 

No relevant category

360

5.7

5.0

 

Cough

50

0.8

4.0

 

Abdominal complaints, ns

108

1.7

3.7

 

Blood in stool/melaena

137

1.8

3.6

 

Hypertension

55

1.9

3.6

 

Abnormal lab values

154

1.10

3.2

 

Diarrhoea

64

1.11

3.1

 

Neurological symptoms, ns

101

1.12

3.0

 

Anaemia

70

1.13

2.9

 

Unilateral extremity weakness

102

1.14

2.9

 

Vomiting

72

1.15

2.8