Understanding the characteristics of recurrent visits to the emergency department by paediatric patients: a retrospective observational study conducted at three tertiary hospitals in Korea.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

The number of paediatric patients visiting the emergency department (ED) continues to rise. In South Korea, approximately 25% of the patients who visit the ED are paediatric patients. In the USA, about 20% of the paediatric population were found to have visited the ED in the past year. A recent study demonstrated that 4.5%-8% of patients account for 25% of all ED visits. Therefore, the aim of this study was to identify the characteristics of recurrent visits.

Methods

Design: retrospective observational study.

Setting

this study examined and analysed medical record data involving three tertiary EDs.

Participants

a total of 46 237 ED visits by patients <16 years during 1-year period.

Main outcome measures

data collected included the number of re

SUBMITTER: Kim BS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5857697 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature