Emergency Department (ED) presentations 2021-2022 (AIHW)

In 2021-2022 more than 77,000 presentations to the Emergency Department with asthma, of which 40% were admitted, and less than 1% were triaged as non-urgent.*
Specifically, 77,150 presentations with asthma were recorded across complexity level A, B and C, of which: (ref 1)
– 31,039 (40%) were admitted
– 46,111 (60%) were not admitted
– 986 (13%) were triaged as resuscitations
– 24,441 (32%) were triaged as emergencies
– 38,797 (50%) were triaged as urgent
– 12,305 (16%) were triaged as semi-urgent
– 621 (below 1%) were triaged as non-urgent

*ED presentations included all types of visits, including Emergency presentation but also Return planned visit (e.g for Follow-up tretament, test results etc), pre-arranged admission and dead on arrival (without resuscitation attempt) (see https://meteor.aihw.gov.au/content/684942)

In 2021-22 there were 59,200 ED due to asthma (with asthma as principal diagnosis), a rate of about 240 presentations per 100,000 population. This included, by age:
– about 26,500 ED for asthma in children 0-14 (9,825 in girls and 16,673 in boys) (ref 2)