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.