Common diagnoses among pediatric attendances at emergency departments

Abstract

Background Pediatric patients present to Emergency Departments (EDs) with a variety of medical conditions. An appreciation of the common presenting conditions can aid EDs in the provision of pediatric emergency care. In this study, we established the common pediatric diagnoses seen at the general EDs, with reference to a pediatric ED. Methods A retrospective review of medical records was performed for patients less than 16 years old at a pediatric ED and two general EDs from 1 January to 31 December 2018. Information including patient demographics, triage category, case type and diagnoses were collected. Results There were 159,040 pediatric attendances, of which 3477 (2.2%) were seen at the general EDs. Non-traumatic conditions were most prevalent at both general (N = 1933, 55.6%) and pediatric (N = 128,415, 82.5%) EDs. There was a higher proportion of trauma related conditions seen at the general EDs (N = 1544, 44.4%) compared to the pediatric ED (N = 27,148, 17.5%; p < 0.01). Across all EDs, upper respiratory tract infection, unspecified musculoskeletal pain and gastroenteritis were the three most common non-trauma related diagnoses, while fracture, wound and contusion were the three most common trauma related diagnoses. There was a greater proportion of emergent (P1) cases seen at the general EDs (N = 233, 6.7%) than the pediatric ED (N = 3821, 2.5%; p < 0.01). Respiratory conditions including bronchiolitis, asthma and bronchitis were the most common emergent (P1) diagnoses. Conclusions The common diagnoses among pediatric attendances varied between pediatric and general EDs. Therefore, general EDs should focus their efforts on these common diagnoses, especially the emergent (P1) ones, so that they can enhance their preparedness and work towards providing quality pediatric emergency care.

The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on pediatric emergency department utilization in three regions in Switzerland

“…Similar results were found by Mataloni et al [ 35 ], who reported a decrease of 50% in children up to the age of five years. The most common diagnoses in pediatric EDs are breathing difficulties, febrile illnesses, and gastroenterits [ 39 ], which mostly affect young children [ 40 ]. These diseases declined during and after the nationwide installation of NPIs [ 38 , 41 ].…”

“…Among critically ill patients, seizures, bronchiolitis, and asthma account for the most common diagnoses in pediatric EDs [ 40 ]. Since detailed analyses of diagnoses were not possible for the Italian and French speaking part of Switzerland due to unavailable data, changes in the diagnoses of ED patients in Zurich were analyzed.…”

Fever education for caregivers in the emergency room (The FEVER study)–an interventional trial

“…Fever is one of the most common concerns which results in presentation to the Emergency Department for children and their parents. 1,2 Caregiver anxiety regarding fever is high, despite the vast majority of fevers representing a benign self-limiting illness. [3][4][5][6] This can cause more frequent and urgent seeking of medical advice than is warranted.…”

Sex Disparities in Pediatric Acute Rhinosinusitis: A National Perspective

“…Given that multiple studies have reported differences in CRS by sex and that ARS is such a common finding in pediatric patients, there is clinical utility in identifying the relationship of sex with the management of ARS in pediatric patients. [1][2][3][4][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27] The objective of this study is to highlight the age-stratified impact of sex on the management of ARS in pediatric patients through a retrospective analysis of a large national inpatient pediatric database: the Kids' Inpatient Database (KID).…”

“…A cute rhinosinusitis (ARS) is a possible sequela in 5% to 10% of cases of viral upper respiratory infections, with the latter being the most common cause for doctor visits in pediatric patients. [1][2][3][4] ARS typically occurs from a bacterial superinfection following a viral infection and is characterized by symptomatic inflammation of the paranasal sinuses and nasal cavity lasting \4 weeks. [5][6][7][8] Common symptoms include nasal congestion, purulent rhinorrhea, and facial pain.…”