Characteristics and risk factors for admission in children undergoing hematopoietic cell transplantation in a pediatric emergency department

Abstract

We describe 68 hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) patients who visited our pediatric emergency department during 2014-2015 (188 encounters). Fever was the main complaint in 74 (34.8%) encounters. Diagnostic tests were performed in 147 (78.2%) episodes [100% of patients with unstable Pediatric Assessment Triangle (PAT) and 75.7% with stable PAT (P value 0.02)] and treatment was required in 93 (49.5%) episodes [15 (78.9%) with unstable PAT and 78 (46.2%) with stable PAT (P value <0.001)]. Risk factors for admission were unstable PAT [relative risk (RR) 3.4 (2.6-4.6), P value <0.001] and ≤100 days since HCT [RR 2.1 (1.4-3.1), P value <0.001].