Table 1.

ED visits for gout as the primary diagnosis in years 2009, 2010, and 2012. Values are n (%) unless otherwise specified.

Variables2009 NEDS2010 NEDS2012 NEDS
ED visits for gout, % of all ED visits180,789 (0.14)201,044 (0.16)205,152 (0.15)
Age, yrs
  Mean (SD)55.35 (68.06)55.35 (71.74)55.44 (72.47)
  Median (IQR)53.50 (42.68–66.73)53.61 (42.84–66.53)53.71 (43.31–66.27)
Sex
  Female41,543 (23.00)46,213 (22.99)46,839 (22.83)
Patient location, residence
  Micropolitan/not metro45,778 (25.51)50,593 (25.32)47,371 (23.19)
  Metropolitan, large or small135,683 (74.49)151,287 (74.68)158,918 (76.81)
Median household income
  1st quartile65,831 (37.46)79,371 (40.55)81,588 (40.71)
  2nd quartile49,752 (28.31)50,845 (25.97)48,791 (24.35)
  3rd quartile34,935 (19.88)37,055 (18.93)40,462 (20.19)
  4th quartile25,208 (14.34)28,487 (14.55)29,554 (14.75)
Primary payer
  Medicare62,176 (34.5)69,960 (34.92)72,568 (35.41)
  Medicaid19,605 (10.89)23,724 (11.84)27,556 (13.45)
  Private insurance55,803 (31)57,115 (28.51)51,329 (25.05)
  Self-pay35,608 (19.78)42,116 (21.03)44,042 (21.49)
  Uninsured/no charge1654 (0.92)1525 (0.76)1199 (0.58)
  Other5175 (2.87)5872 (2.93)8254 (4.03)
Hospital region
  Northeast31,220 (17.27)34,870 (17.34)35,976 (17.54)
  Midwest35,146 (19.44)39,931 (19.86)40,729 (19.85)
  South87,427 (48.36)98,323 (48.91)97,904 (47.72)
  West26,997 (14.93)27,919 (13.89)30,543 (14.89)
Teaching status of hospital
  Metropolitan nonteaching or nonmetro123,559 (74.77)124,746 (64.19)125,106 (60.98)
  Metropolitan teaching57,230 (25.23)71,997 (35.81)80,047 (39.02)
  • ED: emergency department; NEDS: US National ED Sample; IQR: interquartile range.