Objective This study examined the characteristics of patients who attempted suicide in the emergency department before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods We compared data from patients in the emergency department following suicide attempts between January 2018 and December 2021. The patients were categorized into two groups: “pre–COVID-19” and “during COVID-19” pandemic.
Results The findings revealed an increasing trend of suicide attempts during the study period. Suicide attempts were reported at 1,107 before the COVID-19 pandemic and 1,356 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Patients who attempted suicide during the COVID-19 pandemic were younger (38.0±18.5 years vs. 40.7±18.4 years, P<0.01), had a smaller proportion of men (36% vs. 44%, P<0.01), and had fewer medical comorbidities (20.2% vs. 23.6%, P<0.05). The group during the COVID-19 pandemic reported better hygiene conditions (50.5% vs. 40.8%, P<0.01) and lower alcohol consumption (27.7% vs. 37.6%, P<0.01). Patients who attempted suicide during the COVID-19 pandemic had higher rates of use of psychiatric medications and previous suicide attempts. The most common reasons for the suicide attempt were unstable psychiatric disorders (38.8%), poor interpersonal relationships (20.5%), and economic difficulties (14.0%). Drug poisoning (44.1%) was the most common method of suicide attempts. Subgroup analysis with patients who attributed their suicide attempts to COVID-19 revealed a higher level of education (30.8%) and employment status (69.2%), with economic difficulties (61.6%) being the primary cause of suicide attempts.
Conclusion These findings suggest that the prolonged duration of the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on social and economic factors have influenced suicide attempts.
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Emergency department presentations for suicide and self-harm in Korea, 2020–2024: an epidemiological study using the National Emergency Department Information System (NEDIS) database Yuri Choi, Jinwoo Jeong, Borami Lim, Myeong Il Cha Clinical and Experimental Emergency Medicine.2026; 13(1): 98. CrossRef
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines are categorized according to the manufacturing technique, including mRNA vaccines and adenovirus vector vaccines. According to previous studies, the reported efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine is excellent regardless of the type of vaccine, and the majority of studies have shown similar results for safety. Most of the adverse reactions after vaccination were mild or moderate grade, and severe reactions were reported in a very small proportion. However, the adverse reactions that might occur after nationwide vaccinations can contribute to crowding of emergency departments, and this can further lead to significant obstacles to providing necessary treatment for life-threatening conditions. Therefore, as emergency physicians, we would like to present some concerns and suggestions to prevent these predictable problems.
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Post-vaccination incidence and side effects of COVID-19 in a cohort of Brazilian healthcare professionals: an internet-based survey Matheus Ballestero, Renato Lucas Passos de Souza, Thiago Mamoru Sakae, Luiz Guilherme Villares da Costa, Luciano Furlanetti, Ricardo Santos de Oliveira einstein (São Paulo).2022;[Epub] CrossRef
Objective Emergency physicians experience difficulty in determining the disposition of patients with elevated troponin I levels using emergency room tests. In this study, we aimed to investigate factors that could discriminate between the occurrence of type 1 myocardial infarction (T1MI) and type 2 myocardial infarction (T2MI) in patients with elevated troponin I levels.
Methods Patients admitted to the emergency department between January 1, 2017 and June 30, 2017 with elevated troponin I levels who underwent subsequent cardiac biomarker testing were included. Samples for baseline blood tests, such as cardiac biomarker levels, were collected within approximately 10 minutes of admission. Electrocardiogram, transthoracic echocardiography, and percutaneous coronary intervention results were retrospectively examined via patient report and chart reviews.
Results During the study period, 169 of 234 (72%) patients were diagnosed with T2MI and 65 (28%) were diagnosed with T1MI. Among various factors, typical chest pain (odds ratio [OR], 4.40; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.46 to 13.24; P=0.008), high troponin I levels (OR, 1.50; 95% CI, 1.19 to 1.90; P<0.001), high cholesterol (OR, 1.01; 95% CI, 1.00 to 1.02; P=0.008), and low D-dimer levels (OR, 0.87; 95% CI, 0.77 to 0.98; P=0.027) were significantly associated with T1MI incidence.
Conclusion Our findings in this study indicate that typical chest pain, high levels of troponin I and cholesterol, and low levels of D-dimer were associated with the diagnosis of T1MI. Further studies are suggested to determine the cut-off values for accurate diagnosis of T1MI in the ED.
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Utility of biomarkers in patients with a type 2 myocardial infarction: a systematic review Pishoy Gouda, Shehzeen Lalani, Kristin Newby, Renato Lopes, Schuyler Jones Open Heart.2026; 13(1): e003867. CrossRef
Controversial issues of type 2 myocardial infarction patients management V. I. Kinash, A. S. Vorobev, I. A. Urvantseva, L. V. Kovalenko, V. V. Kashtalap Complex Issues of Cardiovascular Diseases.2022; 11(1): 78. CrossRef
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