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Published on: January 23, 2017
[Emergency department utilization by children aged less than two years old]
D Oterino de la Fuente1, S Peiró Moreno
1Fundación Instituto de Investigación en Servicios de Salud. Centro Salud de Teatinos. Asturias. España. doterino@eresmas.net
Insights
Emergency department (ED) visits increased significantly in children despite a falling birth rate. More children accessed ED services, with higher visit frequencies observed over a five-year period.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Health
- Public Health
- Healthcare Utilization
Background:
- Rising emergency department (ED) visits contrast with a decreasing birth rate.
- Understanding trends in pediatric ED utilization is crucial for resource allocation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare emergency department (ED) utilization between children born in 1991 and 1996.
- To analyze ED visit frequency and patterns in the first two years of life.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective cohort study in Mieres, Spain (1991 and 1996 birth cohorts).
- Inclusion of all children born in the specified years (n=600 in 1991, n=423 in 1996).
- Calculation of ED visit frequency, mean visits, and patient demographics.
Main Results:
- Gross ED visits remained stable, but the proportion of children visiting the ED increased by 34.8%.
- Visit frequency rose by 41.7%, with a higher concentration of visits among a smaller percentage of children.
- ED utilization was significantly higher in the municipality closest to the hospital.
Conclusions:
- Despite stable gross ED visit numbers, pediatric ED utilization substantially increased within a five-year timeframe.
- Findings highlight a growing trend in ED use among young children, necessitating further investigation into contributing factors.
Background:
Emergency department visits are rising although birth rate is decreasing.
Objective:
To compare emergency department.(ED) utilization in the cohorts of children born in 1991 and 1996 in a health district.
Method:
We performed a two-year retrospective cohort study in the health district of Mieres (Spain). All children born in the health district in 1991 (n 600) and 1996 (n 423) were included. The number of visits to the ED was obtained and the frequency and mean number of visits in the first 2 years of life were calculated according to age, sex, and area of residence.
Results:
The gross number of visits did not vary (1991: 852; 1996: 853), despite a decrease in birth rate. The number of children who attended the ED at least once increased by 34.8 % (1991, 60.6 %; 1996, 82 %) and the frequency of visits increased by 41.7 % (1991, 142.2 %; 1996, 201.4 %). More than 60 % of visits were made by 20 % (1991) of the children and by 29 % (1996). The percentage of children who attended the ED, the frequency rate and the mean number of visits were significantly higher in the municipality nearest the hospital than in the remaining municipalities in the health district.
Conclusions:
Although the gross number of visits to the ED remained unchanged, ED utilization increased substantially in only 5 years.
