Shawihdi M, et al. - Via analyzing administrative data for 44,882 emergency admissions for ulcerative colitis (UC) to English hospitals between 2005 and 2013, researchers intended to determine if there is an association between the outcome of emergency admission for UC and year of treatment. According to this retrospective analysis, death risk and unplanned surgery for UC patients admitted as emergencies declined steadily, as did unexplained hospital variation. Readmission risk remained unchanged (more than 1 in 10). The case mix factors (age, sex, co-morbidity, emergency bed days in last year, deprivation status) linked to mortality outcomes were predictable, with odds of death increasing with age and measures of co-morbidity (Charlson co-morbidities and total emergency bed days in preceding year). These nationwide trends are likely to be explained by multiple factors.