ED admits continue to rise

In this large retrospective analysis of ED admission trends from 1993 to 2006, overall hospital admissions increased 15%, but ED admissions increased 50%; the proportion of all admissions from the ED increased from 34% to 44% of all admits. This likely reflects the shrinking ability of PCPs to address acute conditions in an office setting, some with limited diagnostic capabilities, and a trend that is likely to continue (abstract)