[Neonatal visits to a pediatric emergency service]

To determine the profile of neonatal visits to a pediatric emergency service and to compare this profile with that of other pediatric age groups.

We retrospectively reviewed the reports of all neonates who presented to the pediatric emergency service in 2000. Patients transferred from other hospitals were excluded. Age, sex, time of presentation, source of referral, presenting complaint, investigations, final diagnosis and hospitalization were analyzed.

Three hundred and nine neonatal visits were identified. The mean age was 14.3 days and 57.3 % were male. Demand was greatest during evening and night shifts and on Sundays. The most common presenting complaints were irritability/crying (19.1 %), constipation (11.7 %) and jaundice (8.7 %). The most frequent diagnoses were infantile colic (16.8 %), constipation (9.7 %) and jaundice (8.7 %). No morbid processes were found in 12.0 % of the patients and complementary investigations were not required in 68.3 %. Fifty-one neonates (16.5 %) were admitted, mainly due to jaundice (9 patients) and sepsis (8 patients). Patients referred by physicians (29 patients, 9.4 %), especially those referred by pediatricians, were admitted and required investigations more often than self-referred patients. The admission rate was higher in neonates than in other pediatric age groups.

Most neonatal utilization of emergency services is due to trivial problems that could be solved in primary care. Appropriate training is required to avoid unnecessary tests without overlooking potentially serious conditions.