Wu, R. S. Y., Chan, S. S. W., Cheung, N. K., Graham, C. A. and Rainer, Timothy ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3355-3237 2011. Open-access colonoscopy: outcomes of referrals from the emergency department. Colorectal Disease 13 (7) , pp. 826-828. 10.1111/j.1463-1318.2010.02301.x |
Abstract
Aim The study investigated the diagnostic outcome of colonoscopy referrals from the emergency department (ED) via an open-access system. Method A retrospective cohort study over two years was performed on all patients under 65 years referred for open-access colonoscopy by the ED in a hospital with an annual ED attendance of 140 000. Patient characteristics and presenting symptoms were retrieved. Waiting times from presentation to colonoscopy were recorded. Results Over a 2-year period, 266 patients were referred, of whom 37 defaulted, leaving 229 patients who had a colonoscopy. The mean age was 48.3 ± 11.3 (SD) and the female/male ratio was 229/125. The most frequent presenting symptoms included: rectal bleeding (n = 142, 62%), change of bowel habit (n = 47, 20.5%) and abdominal pain (n = 40, 17.5%). The median waiting time from presentation to colonoscopy was 17 (range 1–69) days. A positive colonoscopic finding was recorded in 45.4%, including colorectal cancer in 12 (5.2%). Conclusion The rate of a positive diagnoses from the ED-based colonoscopy referral service was comparable to that of the general Hong Kong population. This approach may help to reduce the waiting time for colonoscopy in a specialist colorectal clinic.
Item Type: | Article |
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Date Type: | Publication |
Status: | Published |
Schools: | Medicine |
Subjects: | R Medicine > R Medicine (General) |
Uncontrolled Keywords: | Colonoscopy; Hong Kong; emergency medicine; emergency department; colorectal cancer; health service research |
Publisher: | Wiley |
ISSN: | 1462-8910 |
Date of Acceptance: | 19 March 2010 |
Last Modified: | 01 Nov 2022 10:44 |
URI: | https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/92702 |
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