Emergency Department Visits

Opioid ED Visits in Los Angeles County

According to HCAI data (formerly OSHPD), there were a total of 153,788 emergency department (ED) visits in LAC from 2005 to 2022 that listed opioids as a diagnosis (abuse, dependence, use, or poisoning) or external-cause-of-injury. Opioid-related ED visits nearly quadrupled from 2005 to 2016, and has since decreased by 14% from 2016 to 2022 (Figure 1).

About 31% of all opioid-related ED visits listed opioids as the principal diagnosis or principal external-cause-of-injury in 2005-2022. Primary opioid ED visits in LAC increased 413% from 1,084 in 2005 to 5,561 in 2022 (Figure 3). 

Among opioid poisoning ED visits with specified opioid type, prescription (Rx) opioids (including natural/semi-synthetic, methadone, and synthetic opioids) were the most frequently reported, with increases every year from 2016 to 2022 driven by synthetic opioids such as fentanyl (Figures 2, 4). Heroin poisoning ED visits increased from 2005, peaked in 2018, then decreased every year from 2018-2022 (Figures 1, 3). 

ED visits by SPA and Opioid Type

In 2022, the Antelope Valley region (SPA 1) had the highest rates of any mention and primary opioid ED visits for all opioid conditions overall and for all opioid poisoning types (Figure 5).

Figure 5. Opioid ED visits per 100,000 population by SPA, opioid type, and diagnosis type, LAC, 2022

Source: HCAI

Instructions:

Make a selection at the top of the maps to compare ED visit rates by SPA, opioid type, and diagnosis type.

Demographics by Opioid Type

In 2022, younger adults aged 26-34 years accounted for the highest proportion of any mention and primary opioid ED visits for all opioid conditions overall and for all opioid poisoning types.

Since 2016, synthetic opioid poisoning-related ED visits increased the fastest for adults aged 26-34 years, followed by young adults aged 18-25, and adults aged 35-44 years. Heroin poisoning-related ED visit decreases since 2018 were driven by decreases among adults aged 26-34 years and young adults aged 18-25 years (Figures 6-9). 

Males accounted for the majority of opioid-related ED visits and of all opioid poisoning types during 2016-2022. Males had a larger majority for heroin-related (78%) and synthetic opioid-related (70%) poisoning ED visit compared to natural/semi-synthetic opioid-related (62%) poisoning ED visits (Figures 10, 12). The gender disparity was greater for primary opioid ED visits for all opioid poisoning types (Figures 11, 13).

Whites accounted for the largest proportion of all opioid-related ED visits up until 2021, when Latinxs continued a steep increasing trend and surpassed Whites, driven by synthetic opioids. 

ED visits for synthetic opioids increased from 2016-2022 across race/ethnic groups. 

While there were large consistent decreases in heroin-related ED visits every year since 2017 among Whites, heroin-related ED visits among Latinxs continued an increasing trend until 2021 before dropping in 2022, and fluctuated among Blacks. 

Since 2019, Latinxs were the largest group for natural/semi-synthetic opioid-related ED visits. 

Primary opioid ED visits followed a similar pattern to any mention ED visits (Figures 14-17). 

References

Figures 1-17. Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI, formally OSHPD). Nonpublic Inpatient Discharge and Emergency Department data, 2005-2022. California Department of Public Health.
Notes: Based on diagnoses and external-cause of injury listing any ICD code for opioid abuse, dependence, use, or poisoning for all intents and encounters. Counts based on case admission date. For specific opioid poisoning types, encounters for sequelae and remission were excluded.