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Pediatric emergencies at a tertiary care hospital in India
Sunit Singhi1, Vivek Jain, Gaurav Gupta
1Department of Pediatrics, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Advanced Pediatric Center, Chandigarh, India. drsinghi@glide.net.in
Insights
This study analyzed pediatric emergency department visits over six years. Key findings show gastrointestinal and respiratory illnesses are most common, with infants being the largest age group.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Emergency Medicine
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Pediatric emergency departments (EDs) manage a wide range of acute conditions in children.
- Understanding the epidemiological and clinical patterns of pediatric ED visits is crucial for resource allocation and service planning.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of patients presenting to a pediatric Emergency Department.
- To identify common diagnoses, demographic trends, and seasonal variations in pediatric emergency care.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of patient records from a pediatric ED over a 6-year period (1995-2000).
- Descriptive statistics were used to summarize demographic data, admission rates, and diagnoses.
- Analysis included monthly admission rates and identification of common and seasonal illnesses.
Main Results:
- A total of 43,800 patients were seen, with 42.1% admitted.
- The most frequent reasons for visits were gastrointestinal and respiratory illnesses (23% each), neurological emergencies (16%), and neonatal problems (15.6%).
- Infants under one year constituted 47% of patients, and a 3:1 boy-to-girl ratio was observed. Eight specific conditions accounted for nearly half of all visits, with seasonal trends noted for acute diarrhea, pneumonia, asthma, and encephalitis.
Conclusions:
- Pediatric EDs in developing countries should prioritize common emergencies like acute diarrhea, pneumonia, asthma, seizures, and neonatal infections.
- Resource allocation, staff training, and triage strategies should consider the high prevalence of infants and observed seasonal patterns in pediatric emergency care.
Abstract:
The aim of the present study was to study the epidemiological and clinical profile of patients attending an exclusive pediatric Emergency Department (ED). Data was retrieved from records of the patients seen over a 6-year period from 1995 to 2000. Descriptive analysis was done to define demographic and clinical details, and monthly admission rates and diagnoses. A total of 43800 patients were seen during the study period. Of these 42.1 per cent were admitted after initial evaluation. The ratio of boys to girls was 3:1; 47 per cent were infants under 1 year of age. The common reasons for attending the emergency department were gastrointestinal and respiratory illnesses (23 per cent each), neurological emergencies (16 per cent), and neonatal problems (15.6 per cent). Poisonings were seen in 0.6 per cent of patients. Eight illnesses, i.e. acute diarrhea, upper respiratory infection, pneumonia, acute asthma, seizures, meningitis, and neonatal sepsis and jaundice, comprised nearly half of all the emergency visits. Acute diarrhoeal diseases, pneumonia, asthma, and encephalitis showed a distinct seasonal trend. Our data implies that planning of staff training and triage and efficient resource utilization in the pediatric ED in a developing country such as ours should take into consideration the preponderance of infants, seasonal trends, and the most common emergencies (acute diarrhea, pneumonia, acute asthma, seizures and neonatal infection) as priorities.