Clinical and demographic analysis of centenarian patients presenting to the emergency department.
Most centenarian emergency department visits resolve within eight hours.
Clinical and demographic analysis of centenarian patients presenting to the emergency department.
Globally, the centenarian population has approximately doubled every decade and is projected to continue growing.
This study aims to determine the sociodemographic characteristics, medical histories, reasons for visits, patterns of emergency department utilization, treatment processes, hospital outcomes and the economic burden of geriatric patients aged 100 years and older.
This retrospective study included all emergency department visits by patients aged 100 years and older at a university tertiary care hospital between January 1, 2014 and December 31, 2024.
most centenarians left the ED within eight hours
Of the patients, 94.2% were female and 73.3% resided in city centers.
Comorbidities were present in 90.0% of patients, with 73.3% exhibiting multimorbidity and 49.2% polypharmacy.
The mean cost per presentation was 45.08 USD.
Costs exhibited a significant longitudinal increase, peaking in 2024 compared to both the 2014 baseline and all preceding years (p = 0.027).
Gastrointestinal issues predominate centenarian emergency visits, with the majority resolving in under eight hours.
Rising healthcare costs and centenarians' unique needs necessitate targeted interventions and specialized emergency management to optimize outcomes.