TY - JOUR
T1 - Trends in emergency department visits due to sunburn and factors associated with severe sunburns in the United States
AU - Tripathi, Raghav
AU - Mazmudar, Rishabh S.
AU - Knusel, Konrad D.
AU - Ezaldein, Harib H.
AU - Bordeaux, Jeremy S.
AU - Scott, Jeffrey F.
N1 - Funding Information:
We would like to acknowledge the Medicine, Society, and Culture program in the Department of Bioethics at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine for supporting our access to this database.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020, Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.
PY - 2021/3
Y1 - 2021/3
N2 - Little is known regarding the burden of sunburns leading to emergency department (ED) visits in the United States (US). The objectives of this research were to characterize the burden of sunburn ED visits, investigate predictors of severe sunburns, and evaluate risk factors for increased cost of care in patients presenting to the ED for sunburn. In this nationally representative cross-sectional study of the National Emergency Department Sample (NEDS, 2013–2015), multivariable models were created to evaluate adjusted odds for sunburn ED visits, seasonal/regional variation in sunburn ED visits, adjusted odds for second and third degree sunburns, and risk factors for increased ED expenditure. 82,048 sunburn ED visits were included in this study. On average, the cost of care for a sunburn ED visit was $1132.25 (± $28.69). The prevalence and cost of ED visits due to sunburn increased during the summer months. Controlling for sociodemographic factors, comorbidities, and hospital characteristics, patients presenting to the ED for all sunburns (and for severe sunburns) were most likely to be lower income young adult men. Older, higher income patients in metropolitan hospitals had more expensive ED visits. This research provides nationally representative estimates of visits to the ED due to sunburn in the US, as well as evaluates determinants for severe sunburns and more expensive sunburn ED visits. Ultimately, characterizing the national burden of ED visits due to sunburn is critical in the development of interventions to reduce the impact of sunburn ED visits on the US healthcare system.
AB - Little is known regarding the burden of sunburns leading to emergency department (ED) visits in the United States (US). The objectives of this research were to characterize the burden of sunburn ED visits, investigate predictors of severe sunburns, and evaluate risk factors for increased cost of care in patients presenting to the ED for sunburn. In this nationally representative cross-sectional study of the National Emergency Department Sample (NEDS, 2013–2015), multivariable models were created to evaluate adjusted odds for sunburn ED visits, seasonal/regional variation in sunburn ED visits, adjusted odds for second and third degree sunburns, and risk factors for increased ED expenditure. 82,048 sunburn ED visits were included in this study. On average, the cost of care for a sunburn ED visit was $1132.25 (± $28.69). The prevalence and cost of ED visits due to sunburn increased during the summer months. Controlling for sociodemographic factors, comorbidities, and hospital characteristics, patients presenting to the ED for all sunburns (and for severe sunburns) were most likely to be lower income young adult men. Older, higher income patients in metropolitan hospitals had more expensive ED visits. This research provides nationally representative estimates of visits to the ED due to sunburn in the US, as well as evaluates determinants for severe sunburns and more expensive sunburn ED visits. Ultimately, characterizing the national burden of ED visits due to sunburn is critical in the development of interventions to reduce the impact of sunburn ED visits on the US healthcare system.
KW - Dermatology consult
KW - Disparities
KW - ED
KW - Emergency department
KW - National emergency department sample
KW - National trends
KW - Sunburns
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U2 - 10.1007/s00403-020-02073-2
DO - 10.1007/s00403-020-02073-2
M3 - Article
C2 - 32274574
AN - SCOPUS:85083430176
VL - 313
SP - 79
EP - 88
JO - Archives of Dermatological Research
JF - Archives of Dermatological Research
SN - 0340-3696
IS - 2
ER -