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Utilization of emergency department by children in Korea
Young Ho Kwak1, Do Kyun Kim, Hye Young Jang
1Department of Emergency Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Insights
Korean children aged 1-4 years most frequently utilize emergency departments (EDs). Fever is the top reason for infant visits, while older children present with abdominal pain, highlighting age-specific pediatric emergency care needs.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Emergency Medicine
- Public Health Surveillance
- Healthcare Utilization Studies
Background:
- Emergency department (ED) utilization patterns among children are crucial for public health planning.
- Understanding pediatric ED visits informs resource allocation and service improvement.
- Nationwide data provides a comprehensive overview of child emergency care trends.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze nationwide emergency department (ED) utilization patterns for pediatric patients in Korea.
- To identify demographic characteristics and chief complaints of children visiting Korean EDs.
- To evaluate the causes and outcomes of pediatric emergency visits.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the National Emergency Department Information System (NEDIS) database.
- Analyzed pediatric (< 19 years) ED visit data from June 1, 2008, to May 31, 2010.
- Included data from 124 EDs, encompassing over 2 million patient visits.
Main Results:
- Pediatric visits constituted 31.2% of total ED visits, with 1-4 year olds being the largest group (42.3%).
- Fever was the most common complaint in infants, while abdominal pain was prevalent in older children.
- Most children (81.2%) were discharged, with 15.3% admitted; non-emergency medical service (EMS) transport was predominant (90.7%).
Conclusions:
- The 1-4 year old age group represents the highest users of Korean EDs.
- Pediatric chief complaints vary significantly by age, necessitating tailored emergency care.
- There is a need for enhanced and organized pediatric emergency medicine services in Korea.
Abstract:
This study was conducted to examine the nation-wide emergency department (ED) utilization pattern by children in Korea. Most referral hospital EDs provide their essential ED information to the National Emergency Medical Center through the National Emergency Department Information System (NEDIS). We analyzed the NEDIS data on pediatric visits (< 19 yr old) during three years, from June 1, 2008 to May 31, 2010. A total of 2,072,664 children visited 124 EDs during the study period, and this patient population comprised 31.2% of the total ED visits. Male patients with a mean age of 5.44 (± 5.40 SD) yr comprised 59.1% of the ED pediatric visits. Among all age groups, the 1-4-yr-old group was the largest (42.3%). The most common mode of arrival was non-emergency medical service (EMS) (90.7%), and only 4.2% of patients used EMS transport. Common chief complaints in infants were fever (37.4%), whereas many older children presented to the EDs with abdominal pain (15.4%). The ratio of disease versus injury as the cause of ED visits was 2.5:1. Most patients were discharged (81.2%), and 15.3% were admitted. In conclusion, the most common age group who are brought to EDs in Korea is 1 to 4 yr-old young children, and common chief complaints of the visiting children are age-dependent, such as fever in younger children and abdominal pain and headache in older children. We need more improved and organized emergency medicine service system for children in Korea.
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