Emergency Department utilisation and diagnoses in adolescents with POTS

Article published in Cardiology in the Young by Jeffrey Boris, Thomas Bernadzikowski

Abstract

Introduction: Data for Emergency Department utilisation and diagnoses in adolescents with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome are lacking, making prevention of these visits more difficult to achieve.

Materials and methods: We performed a retrospective study of patients with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome between ages 12 and 18 years seen in the Emergency Department at a large tertiary care children's hospital. These subjects were age- and sex-matched with controls, with volume of primary and total diagnoses assessed. Due to the relatively small number of subjects, a ± 3-year variance was used among control patients for age matching.

Results: A total of 297 patients in each group were evaluated. The percentage of female patients was 80.5%. The median age of the subjects was 15.1 years (interquartile range 14.1-15.9), and the median age of controls was 16.1 years (interquartile range 14.4-17.4) (p < 0.00001). Patients with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome had greater gastroenterologic and headache diagnoses (p < 0.00001); controls had greater autonomic and psychiatric diagnoses.

Discussion: Adolescent patients with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome who present to the Emergency Department have a preponderance of gastroenterologic and headache complaints versus controls.

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