Ethnic variation in hospitalisation due to treatment injury and complications of healthcare in older adults residing in New Zealand.

AIM: To describe the incidence, characteristics, and ethnic variation of hospitalisations for treatment injury and complications of medical or surgical care in older adults in two regions of Aotearoa New Zealand. METHODS: This observational study analysed treatment-related hospital admissions (<24 hours; index injury from primary or secondary care) among older adults (<50 years) between 2014-2018 in Lakes and Bay of Plenty District Health Boards. Among all admissions due to a treatment injury (n=296) or a complication of healthcare (n=13,850), age-standardised incidence rates per 100,000 were determined by ethnicity and age group. RESULTS: The rates of admissions for treatment injuries were 30% lower among non-Maori than among Maori (New Zealand's Indigenous population). Complications of healthcare admissions rates were 43% lower among non-Maori than in Maori. Medications were the most common cause (54%) of healthcare complications. Rates of treatment injury and healthcare complications increased with age for both Maori and non-Maori, until the age of 80 years. CONCLUSION: Ethnic variation in treatment injuries and complications of healthcare between Maori and non-Maori provide further evidence of the existence of inequities in access to quality healthcare in New Zealand. Transparent, publicly available national monitoring of treatment injuries and complications, disaggregated by age and ethnicity, is recommended.

The burden of alcohol-related presentations to a busy urban New Zealand hospital emergency department.

AIMS: This cross-sectional observational study presents a focused analysis of alcohol-related presentations (ARPs) to a major New Zealand emergency department (ED) with the aim of describing and comparing the profile and outcomes of these presentations. METHODS: A secondary analysis of 12 months (November 2017 to October 2018) of electronic patient records of adult (≥15 years) presentations to the Auckland City Hospital Adult ED. The primary area of interest was patient's alcohol-related status. Additional information reviewed included: patient demographics, and features of the presentation such as time of presentation, triage category and discharge disposition. RESULTS: Among 73,381 presentations, 7% (n=5,130) were alcohol-related, the majority were male (65%) and aged 20-39 (52%). ARPs were more frequent at night, during the weekends, public holidays and over the summer months. Sixteen percent of injury-related presentations were alcohol-related. ARPs commonly arrived at the ED via emergency services and had a longer length of stay than non-ARPs. CONCLUSIONS: The findings from this study highlight the burden of alcohol misuse on the ED. Continued public health efforts are required to implement preventative strategies for alcohol-related harm in the ED and society as a whole.