Utilization of Prognostic Biomarker Soluble Urokinase Plasminogen Activator Receptor in the Emergency Department: A Tool for Safe and More Efficient Decision-making

INTRODUCTION: Risk stratification in the emergency departments (EDs) is in critical need for new applications due to ED overcrowding and hospitalization of older people. We aimed to evaluate the expediency, efficiency and safety of a prognostic biomarker, soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR), as a tool for the risk assessment of patients arriving at the ED. METHODS: We performed a comparative cross-sectional study in 2 emergency departments (EDs), suPAR measurements being incorporated into routine blood sampling in the intervention ED. The primary outcome was the number of discharges from the ED. The importance of the outcomes was examined by appropriate multi- or bivariate analysis. RESULTS: The absolute and relative number of discharges were similar between the intervention and control groups [121 (55.3%) vs 62 (55.9%)]. No significant differences between the groups were seen in the length of stays in the ED. Patients with low suPAR values were more likely discharged and patients with high suPAR values more likely admitted to hospital. Two admitted patients with low suPAR values could have been discharged safely. CONCLUSION: The utilization of suPAR did not increase the risk for neither positive nor negative outcomes. Low suPAR values could be potential in discharging more patients safely. Instead of unselected patient populations, the benefits of suPAR measurements in the ED could emerge in the assessment of a more precisely determined and selected group of patients.