Patterns of emergency department utilization by patients on chronic dialysis: A population-based study.

Patients on dialysis are often elderly and frail, with multiple comorbid conditions, and are heavy users of Emergency Department (ED) services. However, objective data on the frequency and pattern of ED utilization by dialysis patients are sparse. Such data could identify periods of highest risk for ED visits and inform health systems interventions to mitigate these risks and improve outcomes.To describe the pattern and frequency of presentation to ER by dialysis patients.Retrospective cohort study using administrative data collected over ten years (2000-2009) in the Province of Manitoba, Canada.Patients presenting to any of 9 ED's in Winnipeg and Brandon Manitoba. These departments serve >90% of the population of Manitoba, Canada (population 1.2 million).All patients presenting to an ED in any of 9 emergency departments in Manitoba, Canada.Dialysis status.Presentation to the ED.Over 2.1 million ED visits by more than 1.2 million non-dialysis patients and 17,782 ED visits by 3257 dialysis patients were included. Dialysis patients presented 8.5 times more frequently to the ED than the general population (age and sex adjusted, p