CORPORATE OFFICE
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   Telephone:  0064 3 364 4134
Christchurch Central

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CHRISTCHURCH 8011




2 February 2022

Brian Sandle

Email: [FYI request #18109 email]

Dear Brian

RE Official information request CDHB 10795

I refer to your email dated   6 January 2022 requesting the following information under the Official
Information Act from Canterbury DHB.

Fol owing on from your FOI release of information on 2020 and 2021 emergency department
presentations*, have any causes for the increase in 2021 been found?

* link to our previous response CDHB 10751
https://www.cdhb.health.nz/wp-content/uploads/15b3423d-cdhb-10751-emergency-department-
presentations.pdf

Here I show my calculations for the increases above 17% which appears to be the average increase:
1 Mar-31 Dec 2020
1 Mar-14 Nov 2021
% change per day
Presenting Complaint
(306 days)
(256 days)
4
54
1513.67
Abnormal blood test
4
20
497.66
Abnormal vital signs
7
16
173.21
Insomnia
232
422
117.42
Follow-up visit
16
27
101.71
Aggressive behaviour
24
38
89.26
Tremor
810
1261
86.09
Cough
217
329
81.22
Plaster cast problem
28
42
79.30
Swollen leg (single)
12
18
79.30
Chemical exposure
31
46
77.37
Postpartum complication
22
29
57.56
Removal of skin sutures or staples
1552
2030
56.35
General weakness/fatigue/unwell
79
102
54.33
Change
18
23
52.73
Electrical injury
23
29
50.71
Hypothermia
40
49
46.43
Swelling of tongue

28
34
45.15
Itching
89
105
41.02
Pain in anus and/or rectum
4687
5469
39.47
Shortness of breath
31
36
38.81
Nasal congestion
101
117
38.47
Abdominal distension
290
330
36.02
Earache
39
44
34.86
Discharge from ear
34
38
33.59
Episodes of not breathing (apnoea)
26
29
33.32
Exposure to blood and/or body
106
118
33.06
Coughing up blood
49
54
31.73
Injury of nose
61
67
31.29
Foreign
12
13
29.49
Sexual assault
2560
2761
28.92
Fever symptoms
312
336
28.73
Foreign
56
60
28.07
Administration of medication
1444
1546
27.97
Mental health problem
243
259
27.40
Weakness of face muscles
103
108
25.33
Crying baby
235
245
24.62
Altered
7032
7264
23.47
Injury of upper limb
672
692
23.09
Sore throat
35
36
22.95
Injury of ear
233
239
22.61
Vomiting blood
489
500
22.22
Wound complication
90
92
22.19
Abnormal behaviour
949
969
22.05
Altered mental state
55
56
21.70
Cardiac arrest
1420
1443
21.47
Localised swelling or lump of skin
940
955
21.44
Multiple injuries - minor
630
640
21.43
Pregnancy problem
6073
6165
21.34
Injury of lower limb
356
360
20.87
Visual disturbance
275
278
20.84
Multiple injuries major
402
406
20.72
Alcohol/drug intoxication or
withdrawal
367
368
19.86
Vaginal bleeding not pregnant
7006
6952
18.61
Chest pain
1942
1906
17.32
Col apse and/or syncope.

Where you have given <5 I have substituted 4.
I have not included presentations where neither figure was 20 or more.

The increase in activity between 2020 and 2021 is seen in a number of factors.

In 2020 there was a reduction in ED attendances due to the first wave of COVID lockdown, therefore the
increase to 2021 was from a lower base, refer to Table 1

Table 1:

There has been a significant increase in particular Triage categories. Triage refers to the urgency in
which the person needs to be attended to (with Triage 1 being most urgent and Triage 5 being less). The
largest % increases were in Triage 2 (+21%) and Triage 5 (+41%), although the largest volume increases
were across Triages 3 (+7,155) and 4 (3,938).

In terms of patient demographics we have seen the largest % increase in 0-15 year olds (+27%), with the
largest volume increase in Adult 16-64 yrs (+9,028).

While we can identify where movements have occurred the drivers associated with these increases are
lesser known, it is interesting to note that the increase in attendances commenced prior to the opening
of the new ED department (this opened in November 2020).

I trust that this satisfies your interest in this matter.

Yours sincerely

Ralph La Salle
Senior Manager, OIAs
Planning, Funding & Decision Support

Document Outline