Decreasing Rates of Patients With Low Back Pain Presenting to Emergency Departments: An Age and Sex-Specific Review of National Injury Data From 2014 to 2023.
Charu Jain, Luca M Valdivia, Niklas H Koehne, Jennifer Yu, Nikan K Namiri, Junho Song, Robert L Parisien, Andrew C Hecht
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Objective: To analyze trends in low back pain presentations to US emergency departments (EDs) and identify associated risk factors and barriers to care.
Study design: Retrospective analysis using data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) from 2014 to 2023.
Summary of background data: Low back pain is one of the most common reasons for seeking medical care in the United States. Post-COVID-19, many older adults seem to defer care. Understanding trends in low back pain incidence can highlight potential improvements in prevention and gaps in health care access.
Methods: NEISS data from January 1, 2014, to December 31, 2023, were queried for lower trunk injuries coded as strain/sprain. Narratives consistent with low back pain were included. Demographic and injury-related data were analyzed to estimate trends and outcomes.
Results: The query identified 48,829 cases of low back pain, corresponding to a national estimate (NE) of 2,001,384 cases. Low back pain incidence decreased significantly over the study period [P<0.001, β=-0.967, 95% CI: (-25216.56, -16296.58)]. Most cases involved patients aged 46-65 (29.8%) and 31-45 (28.8%). Common causes of injury included stairs (8.8%) and flooring (7%), with 51.3% occurring at home. Males and females accounted for 50.8% and 49.2% of cases, respectively. Hospitalization rates averaged 1.2%, peaking at 2.4% in 2022.
Conclusions: Low back pain incidence in US EDs has declined over the past decade, possibly reflecting better prevention or alternative care pathways. However, steady hospitalization rates suggest injury severity remains unchanged. Further research is needed to assess care-seeking patterns, risk factors, and prevention strategies to address the burden of low back pain.
期刊介绍：
Clinical Spine Surgery is the ideal journal for the busy practicing spine surgeon or trainee, as it is the only journal necessary to keep up to date with new clinical research and surgical techniques. Readers get to watch leaders in the field debate controversial topics in a new controversies section, and gain access to evidence-based reviews of important pathologies in the systematic reviews section. The journal features a surgical technique complete with a video, and a tips and tricks section that allows surgeons to review the important steps prior to a complex procedure.
Clinical Spine Surgery provides readers with primary research studies, specifically level 1, 2 and 3 studies, ensuring that articles that may actually change a surgeon’s practice will be read and published. Each issue includes a brief article that will help a surgeon better understand the business of healthcare, as well as an article that will help a surgeon understand how to interpret increasingly complex research methodology. Clinical Spine Surgery is your single source for up-to-date, evidence-based recommendations for spine care.
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