Characteristics and risk factors of an emergency department visit in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

This study aimed to examine the characteristics of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) visiting the emergency department (ED) and the risk factors of an ED visit by these patients. This 4-year retrospective study was performed at a tertiary care center in Japan. We included all 205 patients with SLE who were treated in our outpatient clinic between April 1, 2008 and March 31, 2012 and divided them into two groups: those who visited the ED (the ED-user group) and those who did not (the ED-non-user group). We statistically compared the patient backgrounds and characteristics of the groups and identified the risk factors of an ED visit. Of all the patients, 118 visited the ED during study period and 87 did not. In total, 269 events were identified in the ED-user group. Of these, 91 (33.8%) were cases of infection, 32 (11.9%) were orthopedic problems, 32 (11.9%) were cases of gastrointestinal disease, 31 (11.5%) were cases of neurological disease, and 25 (9.3%) were cardiovascular events. Twenty-four events (8.9%) were due to SLE flares, of which ten (41.7%) were cases of neuropsychiatric lupus (NPSLE). The glucocorticoid dosage and the presence of a psychiatric illness, NPSLE, and lupus nephritis were higher among the ED-user group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated high glucocorticoid dosage to be a risk factor of an ED visit. Among SLE patients, infections were the principal reason for visiting the ED. The most common reasons for an ED visit were common diseases rather than flares.