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Epidemiological trends of pediatric emergency referrals in Israel
1Paul Baerwald School of Social Work, Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Insights
Pediatric emergency departments (EDs) in Israel see millions of children annually, with trauma accounting for over a third of visits. Trauma referrals show a consistent increase, highlighting a growing concern in child healthcare.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Emergency Medicine
- Trauma Care
- Public Health
Background:
- Israel has seen advancements in pediatric emergency medicine with dedicated departments.
- Childhood injuries and trauma are a leading cause of mortality and emergency visits for children over one year old.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify pediatric emergency department (ED) referrals in Israel.
- To determine the incidence of pediatric trauma referrals to EDs.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of anonymized, computerized ED records from 24 public hospitals in Israel (1994-1999).
- Inclusion of routine data for all pediatric patients from both pediatric and general EDs.
Main Results:
- Over 2.9 million pediatric ED referrals were recorded, with 37% attributed to trauma.
- The mean hospitalization rate for pediatric ED visits was 21%.
- A consistent upward trend in trauma referrals for children was observed over the study period.
Conclusions:
- Emergency departments are critical healthcare access points for children in Israel.
- Annually, approximately 25% of children are referred to an ED, with over 33% of these visits due to trauma.
Background:
In the last decade pediatric emergency medicine in Israel advanced to a stage of independent emergency pediatric departments. At the same time, injuries and childhood, trauma--a global health problem--became the main cause of mortality and emergency referrals in children over the age of one year.
Objective:
To determine the extent of pediatric referrals to emergency departments and the rate of pediatric trauma referrals in Israel.
Methods:
The records from EDs of Israel's 24 public hospitals for a 6 year period (1994-99) were collected. The records based on computerized ED records were used to identify the basic demographics of pediatric ED referrals. Routine data for all pediatric patients were collected from pediatric and general EDs. This study is an analysis of the accumulated anonymous ED databases.
Results:
Pediatric referrals to EDs accounted for 2,907,912 patients, 37% of them due to trauma. The mean hospitalization rate was 21%. No significant changes were observed during the 6 years in the rate of pediatric ED referrals and in the ED hospitalization rate of children. There is a constant trend of increase in trauma referrals of children.
Conclusions:
The ED is a major site for the delivery of healthcare to children in Israel. One of every four children in the community is referred every year to an ED, and more than one-third of those referrals are due to trauma.
