Pediatric practice in a summer sleep-away camp

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Health
• Camp Medicine
• Public Health Surveillance

Background:

• Assessing pediatric health in residential camp settings is crucial for understanding common ailments and injury patterns.
• Camp environments present unique challenges and opportunities for healthcare delivery to children.
• Previous research has not extensively detailed the clinical practice patterns in large, sleep-away camps.

Purpose of the Study:

• To survey clinical practice and analyze health complaints during a 4-week period at a large sleep-away camp.
• To identify the most frequent health issues and demographic factors influencing medical help-seeking behavior in campers.
• To evaluate the severity and type of health problems encountered in a camp population.

Main Methods:

• A 4-week prospective survey of clinical practice at a Pennsylvania sleep-away camp.
• Data collection included all infirmary visits for 694 campers and 266 staff.
• Analysis focused on presenting complaints, patient demographics, and health outcomes.

Main Results:

• 895 infirmary visits were recorded; 190 children sought care multiple times.
• Younger children and girls were more likely to seek medical attention.
• Common issues included sports injuries and upper respiratory infections; tick bites and significant psychosocial problems were absent.

Conclusions:

• Camp health issues are generally minor, comparable to those at home, with a notable increase in sports injuries.
• Children accurately report symptoms and benefit from appropriate medical care in a camp setting.
• The study highlights the generally good health of campers and the effectiveness of on-site medical services.