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Table 2 Characteristics of included studies

From: Nonspecific complaints in the emergency department – a systematic review

Article

Study type

Presenting complaint

Definition for NSC

Population

NSC group

Control group

Total

Prevalence of NSC

Bhalla et al. 2019 [1]

Cross-sectional cohort

Weakness and fatigue

Listed in NHAMCS as generalised weakness 1020.0 or tiredness and exhaustion 1015.0

Age ≥ 65; All ED visits;

6.4% (~ 5.4 million); Age 65–74 years; 4.6%; 75–84 years: 6.5%; age ≥ 85: 7.7%

93.6% (~ 79 million)

85 million

1% of all adults; 6.40% of elderly

Djärv et al. 2015 [4]

Retrospective cohort

Decreased general condition

Adapt criteria for DGC

Age ≥ 18; All ED visits

1182; 54% female; 83% ≥65 years old; 57%; ≥80 years old

20,775; 52% female; 53% ≥65 years old; 27% ≥80 years old

21,957

1714 / 89,554; 1.9% of all adults

Lamantia et al. 2010 [32]

Retrospective cohort

Generalised weakness

Chief complaint independently by two reviewers according to reason for visit classification schema developed for use by the NHAMCS by national centre for health statistics

Age ≥ 75; All ED visits

n/ab

n/a

3188; 60.8% female; median age 82

n/a

Quinn et al. 2015 [33]

Retrospective cohort

NSC

As Nemec et al

Age ≥ 70; All ED visits

478; 54.8% female; Age avg. 81.9 years, SD 6.19

n/a

n/a

n/a

Safwenberg et al. 2007 [34]

Prospective cohort

General disability

As Djärv et al

Age ≥ 18; Non-surgical ED patients

719; median age 82

n/a

12,995; 51.5% female; median age 66

5.5% of adult non-surgical

Safwenberg et al. 2008 [35]

Prospective cohort

General disability

As Djärv et al

Age ≥ 18; Non-surgical ED patients

719; median age 82

n/a

12,995; 51.5% female; median age 66

5.5% of adult non-surgical

Sauter et al. 2018 [36]

Prospective observationala

NSC

As Nemec et al

Age ≥ 18; Admitted to medical ward from ED

165; 47.9% female; median age 71

546; 44.5% female; median age 69

711

n/a

Wachelder et al. 2017 [2]

Prospective observational

NSC

Not specified

Age ≥ 65; Internal medical patients at the ED

244; 50.4% female; Age mean 77.6 (SD 7.3)

1540; 54.4% female; Mean age 77.5 (SD 7.7)

 

244/2381 (9%) of adult medical patients; 244/1883 (14%) of elderly medical patients

Vilpert 2018 [37]

Retrospective cohort

Home care impossible

Lausanne Triage and priority scale category “home care impossible”

Age ≥ 65; ED visits excluding nursing home residents

5.5% home care impossible; 4.1% failure to thrivea

n/a

39,178; 54.6% female; Mean age 78.5 ± 7.9 years

9.6% of elderly community-dwelling

  1. aPost-hoc classification can be questioned to be truly prospective, as the data were obtained previously, and the raters were not blinded to outcomes or diagnoses
  2. bn/a: data not presented in original studies