Emergency transport for Japanese children with non-life-threatening conditions
1Department of Public Health, Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan. akira.ehara@nifty.com
Insights
Emergency transport use for children in Japan increased from 1985 to 2008. Rates rose for non-life-threatening conditions but declined for severe cases.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Emergency Medicine
- Public Health
Background:
- Japanese emergency rooms face overuse by children with non-life-threatening conditions.
- Analysis of emergency transport utilization for pediatric populations in Japan is needed.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze trends in emergency transport utilization for children in Japan from 1985 to 2008.
- To investigate how utilization rates differ across age groups and condition severities.
Main Methods:
- Calculated emergency transport utilization rates per 1000 live births or 1000 children.
- Utilized national data on emergency transport, child population, and annual live births.
- Analyzed data spanning from 1985 to 2008.
Main Results:
- Emergency transport rates increased for preschool-age, school-age, and newborn children.
- Utilization did not increase uniformly across severity levels.
- Transport rates rose for children requiring no hospitalization or short-term care (<3 weeks), but declined for critically ill or long-term care patients (≥3 weeks or dead on arrival).
Conclusions:
- Overall emergency transport utilization per child or live birth increased in Japan between 1985 and 2008.
- A significant shift was observed: rates for non-life-threatening pediatric conditions increased, while rates for severe or fatal conditions decreased over two decades.
Background:
Emergency rooms in Japan are overused by children with non-life-threatening conditions, and utilization of emergency transport for children in Japan should also be analyzed.
Methods:
Utilization rates of emergency transport per 1000 live births or 1000 children from 1985 to 2008 in Japan were calculated from national data of emergency transport, child population and annual live births.
Results:
Emergency transport per 1000 preschool-age (28 days-6 years old) and school-age (7-17 years old) children rose, and that for newborn babies (0-27 days old) per 1000 live births grew from 1985 to 2008. The utilization rates, however, did not grow homogeneously among the different severity groups. The rates of transport for children who needed no hospitalization or those for children who needed inpatient care <3 weeks rose in each of the three age groups. The rates for patients who were dead on arrival or who needed hospitalization ≥ 3 weeks, however, declined in all the age groups.
Conclusions:
Emergency transport per 1000 live births or 1000 children grew from 1985 to 2008. The utilization rates, however, did not grow homogeneously among different severity groups. The rates for children with non-life-threatening conditions rose, while those for children dead on arrival or with severe conditions declined in the past two decades.
Related Concept Videos
01:30Pulse rhythm
Conversely, an irregular pulse pattern is termed dysrhythmia, stemming from disruptions in cardiac muscle...
01:29Disturbances in Heart Rhythm
Arrhythmias are categorized by their speed, rhythm, and origin. A slow heart...
01:23Holter Monitor: 24-Hour Monitoring
01:18Dysrhythmias IV: Characteristics of Bradyarrhythmias
01:30Dysrhythmias V: Evaluating Dysrhythmias
01:25Dysrhythmias VI: Management of Dysrhythmias