Risk Factors for Early Return Visits to the Emergency Department in Patients Presenting with Nonspecific Abdominal Pain and the Use of Computed Tomography Scan

Over a quarter of patients presenting with abdominal pain at emergency departments (EDs) are diagnosed with nonspecific abdominal pain (NSAP) at discharge. This study investigated the risk factors associated with return ED visits in Taiwanese patients with NSAP after discharge. We divided patients into two groups: the study group comprising patients with ED revisits after the index ED visit, and the control group comprising patients without revisits. During the study period, 10,341 patients discharged with the impression of NSAP after ED management. A regression analysis found that older age (OR [95%CI]: 1.007 [1.003–1.011], p = 0.004), male sex (OR [95%CI]: 1.307 [1.036–1.650], p = 0.024), and use of NSAIDs (OR [95%CI]: 1.563 [1.219–2.003], p < 0.001) and opioids (OR [95%CI]: 2.213 [1.643–2.930], p < 0.001) during the index visit were associated with increased return ED visits. Computed tomography (CT) scans (OR [95%CI]: 0.605 [0.390–0.937], p = 0.021) were associated with decreased ED returns, especially for those who were older than 60, who had an underlying disease, or who required pain control during the index ED visit.