Representation Rate and Management of Gout for Patients Discharged From Emergency Departments in Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District

INTRODUCTION: The estimated prevalence of gout in Western societies is 2.7% to 6.7%. In Australia, there have been increasing rates of hospitalisations for gout flares. Urate-lowering therapy (ULT) is effective in reducing urate burden, which can prevent gout flares and destructive arthropathy. This study assessed the representation rate of patients presenting to the Emergency Department (ED) with crystal arthropathy and the utilisation of ULT in the community for patients with a pre-existing history of gout. METHODS: A retrospective review of electronic records of patients presenting to the ED from the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District was performed. Patients included were coded as per the 10th revision of the International Classification of Diseases coding for crystal arthropathy RESULTS: In all, 18.8% of all crystal arthropathy encounters to the ED were repeat presentations. Of the 70% of patients with a history of gout, only 30.8% were on ULT. DISCUSSION: Despite evidence-based recommendations for a ‘treat-to-target’ approach, most patients with a previous history of gout were not on ULT. One in five encounters were re-presentations for crystal arthropathy. Effective adherence to treatment guidelines may reduce the number of repeat encounters for gout flare in the ED.