Factors associated with hospitalization among older patients with mild traumatic injuries presenting to the emergency department in Korea: a retrospective observational study.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to identify factors associated with hospitalization among older adults with mild traumatic injuries who presented to a regional emergency medical center or regional trauma center. METHODS: This retrospective secondary data analysis used medical records from trauma patients aged ≥ 65 years who were triaged as Korean Triage and Acuity Scale levels 4 or 5 and visited a regional emergency medical center or regional trauma center in Korea between January 1 and December 31, 2022. Of 38,371 visits during the study period, 442 older adults with mild traumatic injuries were included. Data on general characteristics, disease-related characteristics, medical treatments, and nursing interventions were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-tests, χ² tests, and multivariate logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: The 442 participants comprised 228 men (51.6%) and 214 women (48.4%); 225 participants (50.9%) were aged 65-74 years. In the multivariate analysis, longer emergency department stays were associated with a higher likelihood of hospitalization (odds ratio [OR] = 1.01; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.00-1.01). Patients with fractures were more likely to be hospitalized (OR = 11.25; 95% CI, 1.12-111.78), whereas those who received counseling and education were less likely to be hospitalized (OR = 0.01; 95% CI, 0.00-0.04). CONCLUSION: These findings highlight the important role of emergency nursing care in the hospital admission process and support the need to incorporate nursing-related factors into future emergency department research and intervention strategies.