In 2009, there were an estimated 136 

million visits to emergency departments 

(EDs) of nonfederal short-stay and 

general hospitals in the United States. 

The annual visit rate was 45.1 ED visits 

per 100 persons. More than one-third 

of the visits were made by persons under 

25 years of age. 

Percent distribution of ED visits by patient 

age: 2009 

Factsheet

EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT

National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey

The visit rate was higher for Black or 

African American persons compared 

with White persons. There was no 

difference by sex. 

Annual rate of ED visits by patient sex 

and race: 2009

90 85

 100

80

 per

year

70

sits

persons per 60

vi

49

Number of 

50

40

42 41

30

20

10

0

Female Male White Black or

African 

American

Expected sources of payment: 

 Private insurance (39%) 

 Medicaid or Children's Health 

 Insurance Program (29%) 

 Medicare (16%) 

 No insurance (16%) 

 Other (3%) 

 Unknown (7%)

NOTE: More than one source may be reported per visit.

Immediacy with which patient should 

be seen: 

3% 2% 10%

Immediate

8% Emergent

Urgent

35% 42%

Semiurgent

Nonurgent

ED does not 

conduct triage

Common reasons for visit: 

 Stomach and abdominal pain (9.6 million)

 Fever (7.4 million)

 Chest pain (7.2 million)

 Cough (4.7 million)

 Headache (4.0 million)

 Shortness of breath (3.7 million)

 Back symptoms (3.7 million)

 Pain, unspecified (2.9 million)

 Vomiting (2.8 million)

 Throat symptoms (2.6 million)

Common diagnoses: 

 Acute upper respiratory infection, excluding 

 pharyngitis (6.0 million)

 Abdominal pain (5.7 million)

 Contusion with intact skin surface (5.0 million)

 Chest pain (5.0 million)

 Open wound, excluding head (3.9 million)

 Spinal disorders (3.8 million)

 Cellulitis and abscess (3.1 million)

 Fractures, excluding lower limb (2.6 million)

 Pyrexia of unknown origin (2.6 million)

 Sprains and strains, excluding ankle and back 

 (2.4 million)

30 28

22

visits

25 21

20

cent of 15

16 15

Per

10

5

0

Under 15 15–24 25–44 45–64 65 and

over

Age in years
Medications were provided or prescribed at 78 percent Leading principal hospital discharge diagnosis groups:

of ED visits for a total of 268 million drugs. Nonischemic heart disease (1.1 million)

 Chest pain (927,000) Common drug categories: 

 Pneumonia (732,000) Analgesics (94.5 million)

 Ischemic heart disease (513,000) Antiemetic or antivertigo agents (30.9 million)

 Cerebrovascular disease (477,000) Minerals and electrolytes (13.7 million)

 Antihistamines (11.7 million) For more information, contact the Ambulatory and Anxiolytics, sedatives, and hypnotics (11.6 million) Hospital Care Statistics Branch at 301-458-4600 

 Miscellaneous respiratory agents (10.2 million) or visit our Web site at <www.cdc.gov/nhamcs>.

 Bronchodilators (10.0 million)

 Cephalosporins (8.9 million)

 Penicillins (8.7 million)

 Adrenal cortical steroids (8.5 million)

IMPORTANCE OF NHAMCS EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT DATA 

 

NHAMCS data are widely used in research studies published in nationally recognized 

health and medical journals, including JAMA, Archives of Internal Medicine, and American 

Journal of Emergency Medicine. Here are a few examples of recent publications.

 

Menchine MD, Wiechmann W, Peters AL, et al. Trends in diabetes-related visits to U.S. 

emergency departments from 1997 to 2007. Am J Emerg Med. 2011 May 11. [Epub ahead of 

print].

Pham JC, Kirsch TD, Hill PM, et al. Seventy-two hour returns may not be a good indicator of 

safety in the emergency department: A national study. Am J Emerg Med. 2011 Apr; 18(4):390–7.

Bekmezian A, Chung PJ, Cabana MD, et al. Factors associated with prolonged emergency 

department length of stay for admitted children. Pediatr Emerg Care. 2011 Feb; 27(2):110–5.

Simon LJ, Bizamcer AN, Lidz CW, et al. Disparities in opioid prescribing for patients with 

psychiatric diagnoses presenting with pain to the emergency department. Emerg Med J. 2011 Feb 

18. [Epub ahead of print].

Manthripagada AD, Zhou EH, Budnitz DS, et al. Characterization of acetaminophen 

overdose-related emergency department visits and hospitalizations in the United States. 

Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf. 2011 Feb 3. [Epub ahead of print].

Larson DB, Johnson LW, Schnell BM, et al. National trends in CT use in the emergency 

department, 1995–2007. Radiology. 2011 Jan; 258(1):164–73.

Shehab N, Sperling LS, Kegler SR, Budnitz DS. National estimates of emergency department 

visits for hemorrhage-related adverse events from clopidogrel plus aspirin and from warfarin. 

Arch Intern Med. 2010 Nov 22; 170(21):1926–33.

Korley FK, Pham JC, Kirsch TD. Use of advanced radiology during visits to U.S. emergency 

departments for injury-related conditions, 1998–2007. JAMA. 2010 Oct 6; 304(13):1465–71.

Pitts, SR, Carrier ER, Rich EC, Kellermann AL. Where Americans get their acute care: 

increasingly, it’s not at their doctor’s office, Health Aff. 2010 Sept; 29(9):1620–28.

 

Tang N, Stein J, Hsia RY, et al. Trends and characteristics of U.S. emergency room visits, 

1997–2007. JAMA. Aug 11; 2010; 304(6):664–70.

NHAMCS(FS)-1 (8-11)