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MMWR: Many elderly admitted after suicide-related ED visits

Emergency Management Alert, October 8, 2007

More evidence that suicide risk assessment continues to be a hot topic in the ED. From the September 27 issue of the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report:

Older adults are more likely than younger adults to be hospitalized following emergency department care related to suicidal behavior. Comprehensive prevention strategies that address multiple risk factors such as better identification and treatment of clinical depression by primary care physicians and enhancing social support for at-risk individuals may be helpful.

In 2005, there were an estimated 7,105 emergency department visits for nonfatal self-inflicted injuries among U.S. adults 65 and older, with more than 80 percent of these visits identified as suicidal behavior. Self-inflicted injuries are suicidal and self-harming behaviors. A significantly higher percentage of older adults (70.6%) who went to the emergency department for self-inflicted injuries were hospitalized following care for suicidal behavior compared with younger adults (age 20-34, 42.8%; 35-49, 53.2%; 50-64, 56.4%). As the fastest growing portion of the U.S. population, medical costs for self-inflicted injuries among older adults have the potential to increase. Based on previous CDC studies, average medical costs for overall self-inflicted injuries among older adults are twice that of younger adults (ages 25-64). More comprehensive prevention efforts which focus on multiple risk factors are needed to prevent future suicidal behaviors among older adults.

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