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The utilization of a paediatric emergency room in a general hospital in Kuwait
A A al-Hay1, M Boresli, A A Shaltout
1Department of Paediatrics, Al-Adan Hospital, Kuwait City, Kuwait.
Insights
Most visits to the paediatric emergency room (PER) by children under 12 are inappropriate. Health education is needed to improve PER use and clarify differences between primary care and emergency facilities.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Emergency Medicine
- Public Health
Background:
- The paediatric emergency room (PER) serves children under 12.
- Understanding PER utilization patterns is crucial for resource allocation and patient care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the utilization of the paediatric emergency room at Al-Amiri Hospital, Kuwait.
- To analyze socio-demographic data, reasons for visits, referral patterns, and diagnoses for children under 12.
Main Methods:
- A descriptive study was conducted over an 11-week period.
- Data collected included socio-demographics, visit reasons, referral patterns, and diagnoses.
- 277 children under 12 years of age were enrolled.
Main Results:
- 81% of children were generally well; only 4% required hospital admission.
- 64% of visits were deemed non-emergencies by the attending pediatrician.
- Common reasons for visits included child's symptoms (34%), primary clinic unavailability (22%), and perceived better hospital services (20%).
Conclusions:
- The majority of paediatric emergency room visits in this study were inappropriate.
- Intensive health education is necessary to optimize PER usage.
- Public awareness regarding the distinction between primary care and paediatric emergency services needs enhancement.
Abstract:
A descriptive study was conducted in Al-Amiri Hospital, Kuwait to evaluate the use of the paediatric emergency room (PER) by children under 12 years of age over an 11-week period. Socio-demographic data on the families, reasons for the visits, the pattern of referral and the diagnoses were reviewed and analyzed. A total of 277 children were enrolled in the study, the majority of whom (81%) were generally well, only 4% requiring admission to hospital. The paediatrician in the emergency room considered that 64% of visits were not emergencies. Some form of treatment and one to two routine investigations were needed in 21% and 21.6%, respectively. Stated reasons for seeking medical care were: symptoms of the child (34%), unavailability of primary clinic at night (22%) and perceived better services in hospital (20%). The median of parental satisfaction at the end of the visit was 95%. We conclude that most visits to the PER at Al-Amiri Hospital are inappropriate and that intensive health education is required to improve use of the PER and to increase public awareness of the difference between primary care and paediatric emergency facilities.