Most Common Reasons for ER Visits Revealed for National EMS Week

• The most common reasons for ER visits in the US are stomach and abdominal pain, chest pain and fever.
• People aged 65 and over are the most likely age group to visit the ER, with a visit rate of 498 per 1,000 people.
• People in the South are more likely to visit the ER than other regions of the US, with a visit rate of 461 per 1,000 people.

National EMS Week,

is celebrated each year from May 18 to May 24 to recognize and thank those who work as part of emergency medical services. In honor of this, new research has revealed the most common reasons for ER visits in the US, as well as which demographics are the most likely to visit.

Las Vegas Personal Injury Lawyers at H&P Law analyzed data from the National Center for Health Statistics on the number and reason for emergency room visits from 2016-2022 (the most recently available data) in the US. They also found which gender, age group and US region visits the ER the most.

The top five most common reasons for visiting the ER in the US

Stomach and abdominal pain, cramps, and spasms are the number one most common reason for emergency room visits in the US, with an average of 38 in 1,000 ER visits being for this reason from 2016-2022. People aged 18–44 visited the ER for stomach and abdominal pain more than any other age group, with an average of 50 people per 1,000 people in this age group visiting for this reason from 2016-2022.

Chest pain ranks second,

with an average of 23 in 1,000 ER visits from 2016-2022 being due to this reason. People aged 45–64 visited the ER for chest pain the most frequently, with 33 out of every 1,000 in this group seeking medical attention for this reason during the time period.

Fever places third, with an average of 17 in 1,000 ER visitors experiencing this symptom from 2016-2022. Fever is the number one reason for children aged 0-17 being brought to the emergency room, accounting for 57 in every 1,000 visits in this age group.

Cough comes in fourth,

with an average of 16 in 1,000 ER visits from 2016-2022 being for this reason. The 0–17 age group had the highest rate of ER visits for cough, with 33 out of every 1,000 in this group seeking care for this issue.

Shortness of breath rounds off the top five, with an average of 14 in 1,000 ER visits being due to this symptom from 2016-2022. Shortness of breath was the most common reason for people in the 65+ age group to visit the ER, accounting for 33 visits in every 1,000 in this group.

Who visits the emergency room the most?

Females are more likely to visit the emergency room than males, with an average visit rate of 469 per 1,000 people compared to 405 per 1,000 people for males.

The 65+ age group visited the ER the most from 2016-2022, with an average visit rate of 498 per 1,000 people. Closely following are the 18-44 and 0-17 age groups, with visit rates of 456 and 417 per 1,000 people, respectively. This leaves the 45-64 age group visiting the ER the least, with an average visit rate of 393 per 1,000 people.

People in the South region of the US.

are the most likely to visit the ER, with an average visit rate of 461 per 1,000 people. Those in the Midwest and Northeast follow, with visit rates of 457 and 410 per 1,000 people, respectively. The region least likely to visit the ER is the West, with an average visit rate of 404 per 1,000 people.

A spokesperson for H&P Law has commented,

“This research provides valuable insights for people in the healthcare industry. Understanding the most common reasons for ER visits, as well as which groups are the most affected, can help allocate resources more effectively, design targeted health interventions, and educate the public on preventative care. For example, focusing on managing chronic conditions in older populations or addressing pediatric health concerns for new parents could reduce ER strain and improve outcomes for these vulnerable groups.

“One trend that stands out from this analysis is the variation in ER visit rates in different regions of the US. People in the south have the highest visit rate, at 461 per 1,000 people, while those in the west have a rate of 404 per 1,000 people. This variance could be due to differences in healthcare access, population health, or attitudes toward seeking emergency care.

“Improving access to primary care and preventative services in regions like the South, as well as increasing public awareness about when to visit the ER compared to seeking other healthcare options, could help address these imbalances and reduce strain on emergency departments further.”

Source

Estimates of Emergency Department Visits in the United States – 2016-2022 – National Center for Health Statistics