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Table 1 Methods and results of included studies

From: Prevalence of low back pain in emergency settings: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Study

Location of study

Duration of data collection

ED Setting

Health Care System Funding

Age (Mean/ Median)

Sex (%Fem)

Definition of LBP

Coding System,

Sample Size

Prevalence Estimate

Angeletti, 2013

Italy

1-12 months

Non-Standard ED: Presidium (Post Seismic Period)

Private

53c

36d

Narrow

Diagnosis-Patient Charts

958

4.9%

Astete, 2016

Spain

1-5 Years

Standard ED: Metropolitan

Public

57

61

Narrow

Diagnosis

2000g

2.9%

Cordell, 2002

USA

<Month

Standard ED: Metropolitan

Private

30

55

Narrow

Complaint

1665

7.6%

Dutch, 2008

Australia

1-5 Years

3 Standard EDs: Metropolitan

Private

>18

-

Broad

Complaint

104 705g

3.3%

Fialho, 2011

Brazil

<Month

Standard ED: Metropolitan

Public

41c

58d

Narrow

Complaint- Patient Charts

392

8.4%

Hoppe, 2013

USA

1-12 Months

Standard ED: Metropolitan

Private

38

49

Broad

Complaint-EDIS

3007

5.4%

Kao, 2014a

USA

≥5 Years

Standard ED: National Representation

Private

44

45

Broad

Diagnosis-ICD-9f

323 186- 1.1 Billion

3.99%

Friedman, 2010a

USA

≥5 Years

Standard ED: National Representation

Private

40

51

Narrowe

Diagnosis-ICD-9f

183 64

3 -114 million

2.3%

Niska, 2010a

USA

1-5 Years

Standard ED: National Representation

Private

>18

47

Narrow

Diagnosis-ICD-9f

39 393 000

1.9%

Lovegrove, 2011

Australia

1-5 Years

Standard ED: Metropolitan (All EDs in Perth)

Private

46c

51d

Broad

Complaint-EDIS

1 171 731

1.9%

Mapoure, 2015

Cameroon

≥5 Years

Standard ED: Metropolitan

Public

40

51

Narrowe

Diagnosis-ICD-9f

183 633

2.3%

Marinos, 2008

Greece

1-5 Years

Non-Standard ED: Orthopedic

Private

>18

47

Narrow

Diagnosis-ICD-9

39 172

17.1%

NHAMCS, 2010

USA

1-5 Years

Standard ED: National Representation

Private

37b

57

Narrow

Diagnosis-ICD-9

84 886 000

3.7%

Owens, 2008

USA

1-5 Years

Standard ED: National Representation

Private

47

57

Broad

Complaint-ICD-9f

128 350 000

5.8%

Philips 2012

Barbados

1-12 Months

Non-Standard ED: Emergency Calls

Private

-

-

Broad

Complaint

8875

0.9%

Ross, 2003

USA

≥5 Years

Standard ED: Metropolitan Observation Unit

Private

53

59

Broad

Diagnosis

22530

4.9%

Silman, 2000

UK

1-12 months

2 Standard EDs: Metropolitan

Public

>18

-

Narrow

Complaint-Survey

A: 5147

B: 1459

A: 3.2%

B: 4.7% (Pooled 3.5)

Tcherny-Lessenot, 2003

France

<Month

Standard ED: Metropolitan

Public

37

50

Broad

Complaint-Survey

729g

10.8%

Thiruga-nasamban-damoorthy, 2014

Canada

1-12 months

2 Standard EDs: Metropolitan

Public

49c

51d

Narrow

Diagnosis-ICD-10f

31705

2.2%

Waterman, 2012

USA

≥5 Years

Standard ED: National Representation

Private

39c

49d

Narrow

Diagnosis-ICD-9f

1 820 000

3.15%

Yan, 2015

Cambodia

1-12 months

2 Standard EDs: Metropolitan

Private

42

64

Broad

Complaint

1295

5.6%

  1. Notes: “Definition of LBP”, “Narrow” indicates studies using narrow definitions of low back pain. They used a definition of ‘low back pain’ or ‘non-specific low back pain’, or were limited to pain complaints in the lumbar region, while “Broad” indicates studies using broad definitions of low back pain. They used a general definition of ‘back pain’ to define their prevalence estimate, which may have included some individuals with back pain in regions other than the low back pain (for example, thoracic spine). “Coding System”. “Complaint” indicates studies using presenting complaints for their definitions of low back pain while “Diagnosis” indicates studies using diagnosis codes for their definition. a: Indicates that studies used the same database. b: Had to calculate age using age ranges. c: indicates that the age calculation was derived from the back pain population, not the entire presenting population, (>18) indicates that the study collected data from an adult population 18+. d: indicates that the % female calculation was derived from the back pain population, as opposed to the entire presenting population to the ED. e: Complaint, patients presenting with a complaint of back pain to the ED, Diagnosis, patients diagnosed with back pain in the ED. 5 = NON-SPECIFIC. f: indicates that the study used and presented specific codes for their definitions of LBP. g: Astete: random sample chosen from all patients presenting to the ED, Dutch: excluded younger than 18, left before being seen by a physician, dead on arrival and trauma patients. Tcherny-Lessenot: Survey data, missing some individuals who could not fill out survey or too many presenting to the ED at one time, Hoppe: Individuals were receiving opioid in the population they used to explore back pain, Thirun: Used age and sex for patients with serious pathology