Diagnosis of chronic disease during admission for emergency general surgery: a portal to healthcare.

Background: Although nearly half of the US population has a chronic disease, many remain undiagnosed, leading to significant morbidity and mortality. Sociodemographic factors affect access to preventative healthcare, increasing rates of undiagnosed chronic disease. We hypothesize that emergency general surgery (EGS) is an important access point into the healthcare system and sought to characterize factors impacting the new diagnosis of chronic disease during admission for EGS. Methods: This was a Level III retrospective cohort study conducted at a single, academic institution. Patients undergoing EGS intervention, including colectomies, cholecystectomy, hernia repair, and peptic ulcer surgeries, were identified during 2018-2019. Univariate descriptive statistics and bivariate analyses were conducted, with χ Results: A total of 978 patients were included. Of these, 42.7% received a new diagnosis of chronic disease during their EGS admission. The most common diagnoses were gastroesophageal reflux disease (n=120), obesity (n=116), type 2 diabetes (n=60), and hypertension (n=48). No significant associations were found with sociodemographic factors or prior healthcare visits. Length of stay was significantly longer for those with new diagnoses (p<0.001). Conclusions: Hospital admissions for EGS present a critical opportunity to identify undiagnosed chronic conditions, particularly in patients with limited healthcare access. Length of stay was associated with an increased likelihood of diagnosis. These findings suggest that emergency surgical care can serve as a gateway to preventive care. This study provides Level III evidence of the role of emergency general surgery in chronic disease diagnosis. Level of evidence: III.