CDC: Annual emergency room visits top 108 million

ATLANTA - Americans made 108 million visits to hospital emergency rooms in 2000. That&#39;s a 14 percent increase from 95 million visits in 1997, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. <br> <br> During that time, the total number of emergency rooms decreased from 4,005 to 3,934. The increase in total visits combined with the decline in emergency rooms means waiting time for urgent and non-urgent patients increased. <br> <br> The CDC sys the country&#39;s aging population and overall growth explains the trends. Senior citizens have the highest rate of emergency room visits. <br> <br> Stomach pain, chest pain and fever are among the most common reasons for trips to the emergency room.