Depression and the Likelihood of Hospital Admission from the Emergency Department among Older Patients with HIV.

Objective: The objective was to determine if depression was associated with an increased likelihood of hospital admission following an emergency department (ED) visit among older patients diagnosed with HIV.

Methods: We performed secondary analysis of data from the Nationwide Emergency Department Sample (NEDS) in the United States using multivariable Poisson regression to estimate prevalence ratios (PRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). We included adults aged 50 years and older, diagnosed with HIV using International Classification of Diseases, 9th revision (ICD-9-CM) codes. We controlled for demographic characteristics, hospital characteristics, and comorbid conditions in the analysis.

Results: In the final multivariable model, there was a 45% increase in the likelihood of hospital admission following an ED visit among older patients with HIV diagnosed with depression compared with those not diagnosed with depression (PR = 1.45, 95% CI = 1.39-1.52).

Conclusions: Depression was associated with hospital admission among adults aged 50 and over.