According to a single analysis based on data from the Office of National Statistics in England, emergency hospital admissions for respiratory disorders dramatically decreased by 18% on Christmas Day compared to prior days. On the next and consecutive days, the number of respiratory admissions and fatalities exceeds the trend. Researchers expected that emergency department (ED) admissions to the intensive care unit (ICU) would decline over the holidays and then increase afterward. At the University of Minnesota Medical Center (UMMC) and Fairview Health System, they evaluated electronic medical records of ICU admissions from the emergency department before, before, and after important holidays.
The average number of ED ICU admissions per day at Fairview Health System was 3.6±2 (SD) and did not differ across periods (analysis of variance, P=0.77). The average number of ICU admissions per day straight from the emergency department at UMMC was 0.7±0.8 (SD) and did not differ across periods (analysis of variance, P=0.82). Similarly, the average number of ED ICU admissions per day during office hours (weekdays) did not vary from the average number of admissions during off-hours (weekends and holidays) at Fairview Health System (t-test, P=0.88). The number of ED ICU admissions per day at UMMC did not differ (t-test, P=0.99) between office hours (normal weekdays) and weekends-holidays.
Reference:journals.lww.com/clinpulm/Abstract/2017/01000/ICU_Admissions_From_the_Emergency_Department_on.5.aspx
