[TRENDS IN HOSPITALIZATION OF CHILDREN WITH HENOCH -SCHONLEIN PURPURA]

Traditionally, most children diagnosed with Henoch-Schonlein Purpura (HSP) were hospitalized. This policy gradually changed towards selective hospitalization, yet there are still no criteria for admitting pediatric patients with HSP.

To examine the clinical features and criteria for hospitalization of pediatric patients with HSP.

A retrospective analysis was conducted of medical records of pediatric patients with HSP examined in the emergency department (ED) of Schneider Children's Medical Center, during 2005-2015. We compared children who were admitted with those not admitted to the hospital.

During the study period, 116 children diagnosed with HSP were examined in the ED of Schneider Children's Medical Center: 14(12%) were admitted at first referral, and 22 (19%) of the children were hospitalized subsequently. The average age of all the children with HSP was 7.4 years, 57% were boys, and approximately 10% of the children had additional diseases, most of them auto-inflammatory. The main indications for hospitalization were gastrointestinal involvement (abdominal pain or bleeding), renal involvement (hematuria or proteinuria), and inability to walk. Most of these symptoms were also present in the children who were not admitted.

Approximately 30% of the children were admitted to the hospital, most of them not at first referral. No clear criteria for admission were found, except for gastrointestinal bleeding.