[Neonatal hospitalization through a hospital emergency service in Uruguay]

To determine the prevalence of neonatal admissions through a pediatric emergency department (PED), and to evaluate the characteristics of patients who present vital risk on arrival.

We performed a descriptive, retrospective review of neonates aged 2-28 days arriving from home who presented to the pediatric emergency department between 01/01/03 and 31/12/03.

Of a total of 943 neonatal consultations, 277 (29.3 %) required admission. The most common diseases were respiratory (42.6 %) and fever without source (17 %). Among the 943 patients attended, 42 (4,5 %) showed vital risk, and in this group, 81 % were full term neonates, with a P50 of age of 19 days, and a P50 of weight of 3200 g. Among these, there was a predominance of infectious diseases (74 %), especially respiratory tract infections (50 %). Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) was identified in 14 of the 42 patients. Thirty-six percent required mechanical ventilation and 71.5 % were transferred to the pediatric intensive care unit. Sixty percent of the critically-ill neonates were admitted in the 3 winter months (p < 0.001).

A high percentage of the neonates arriving from home required admission, and vital risk was more frequent in this age group than in other ages (p < 0.001). This does not correspond to risk related to perinatal pathology, or to nutritional reasons, but to community-acquired infections, particularly those of the respiratory tract, the most frequent cause of which is RSV.