Computed tomography and emergency department frequency in homeless patients with seizures

Abstract

Seizures are a common presentation to emergency departments in homeless patients. Seizures and epilepsy are often poorly managed in homeless patients. In this retrospective study, conducted in a large urban university hospital; we compared the number emergency department presentations and associated head computed tomography studies in a cohort of 88 homeless patients with seizures to an age and gender-matched housed cohort of patients over a five-year period. We found that homeless patients had a significantly increased number of presentations to the emergency department and a significantly higher number of head computed tomography, with a resulting increase in radiation exposure.