Epidemiologic Burden and Projections for Eosinophilic Esophagitis-Associated Emergency Department Visits in the United States (2009-2030)

Patients with poorly controlled eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) may require unplanned emergency department (ED) visits for the management of dysphagia or food impactions. We evaluated the epidemiologic burden of EoE on ED utilization in the United States. Data from the US Nationwide Emergency Department Sample were used to estimate weighted annual EoE-associated ED visits from 2009-2019. Temporal trends in population-adjusted rates of EoE visits were assessed using joinpoint regression. Autoregressive integrated moving average models were used to project EoE-associated ED visits to 2030. We also evaluated endoscopic utilization, requirement for hospitalization, and ED-related charges in patients with EoE presenting to ED. A total of 11,125 unweighted (49,507 weighted) ED visits for EoE were included (69.0% male, mean age 32.4 years). The annual volume of EoE-associated ED visits increased from 2,934 [95% CI: 2,437-3,431] in 2009 to 8,765 [95% CI: 7,514-10,015] in 2019 and is projected to reach 15,445 [95% prediction interval PI: 14,672-16,218] by 2030. From 2009 to 2019, the number of EoE-associated ED visits increased by an average of 11.5%/year [95% CI: 10.3%, 12.7%]. The proportion of patients admitted to hospital from ED decreased from 25.6% in 2009-2011 to 14.0% in 2017-2019. Half of EoE patients presenting to ED required endoscopy, and nearly 40% required esophageal foreign body removal. Total mean inflation-adjusted charges for an EoE-associated ED visit were $9,025 US dollars in 2019. The volume of EoE-associated ED visits tripled between 2009 to 2019 and is projected to further double by 2030. This represents a substantial burden of unanticipated healthcare resource utilization and highlights a potential opportunity to optimize outpatient EoE care.

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