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Characteristics of paediatric frequent presenters at emergency departments: A whole‐of‐population study
Author(s) -
Procter Alexandra M,
Gialamas Angela,
Pilkington Rhian M,
Montgomerie Alicia,
Chittleborough Catherine R,
Smithers Lisa G,
Lynch John W
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of paediatrics and child health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.631
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1440-1754
pISSN - 1034-4810
DOI - 10.1111/jpc.15119
Subject(s) - medicine , emergency department , presentation (obstetrics) , disadvantage , pediatrics , population , public health , family medicine , demography , environmental health , psychiatry , nursing , sociology , political science , law , radiology
Aim To quantify the frequency of emergency department (ED) presentations and profile the socio‐demographic, health and presentation characteristics of paediatric ED frequent presenters. Methods A population‐based data linkage study of 55 921 children in the South Australian Early Childhood Data Project aged 0–12 years with 100 976 presentations to public hospital EDs in South Australia. For each child, the total number of recurrent ED presentations during a 364‐day period post‐index presentation was calculated. Frequent presenters were children who experienced ≥4 recurrent ED presentations. We determined the socio‐demographic, health and presentation characteristics by number of recurrent presentations. Results Children with ≥4 recurrent presentations (4.4%) accounted for 15.4% of all paediatric ED presentations and 22.5% of subsequent admissions to hospital during the 12‐month study period. Compared to children with no recurrent ED presentation, frequent presenters had higher proportions of socio‐economic and health disadvantage at birth. One in two (49.3%) frequent presenters had at least one injury presentation and one (21.3%) in five had at least one presentation related to a chronic condition. Conclusions Children with ≥4 presentations do not represent the majority of ED users. Nevertheless, they represent a disproportionate burden accounting for 15% of all paediatric ED presentations in a 12‐month period. Frequent presenters were characterised by early socio‐economic and health disadvantage, and childhood injury. Strategies targeting social disadvantage and childhood injury may reduce the burden of ED presentations.