Determining the common medical presenting problems to an accident and emergency department. Issue 5 (1st May 2001)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Armon, K; Stephenson, T; Gabriel, V; MacFaul, R; Eccleston, P; Werneke, U; Smith, S
• Is Part Of: Archives of disease in childhood. Volume 84:Issue 5(2001)
• Page Start: 390
• Page End: 392
• Publication Date: 2001-05-01
• Subjects: accident and emergency -- hospital admission -- diagnosis; Children -- Diseases -- Periodicals; Infants -- Diseases -- Periodicals; 618.920005
• DOI: 10.1136/adc.84.5.390
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0003-9888

Abstract

Abstract : All accident and emergency (A&E) attendances over a one year period were prospectively studied in order to determine common medical presenting problems. Data were collected on children (0–15 years) attending a paediatric A&E department in Nottingham between February 1997 and February 1998. A total of 38 982 children were seen. The diagnoses of 26 756 (69%) were classified as trauma or surgical, and 10 369 (27%) as medical; 1857 (4%) could not be classified. The commonest presenting problems reported for "medical" children were breathing difficulty (31%), febrile illness (20%), diarrhoea with or without vomiting (16%), abdominal pain (6%), seizure (5%), and rash (5%). The most senior doctor seeing these patients in A&E was a senior house officer (intern or junior resident) in 78% of cases, paediatric registrar (senior resident) in 19%, consultant (attending physician) in 1.4%, and "other" in 2.6%. Guidelines developed for A&E should target the commonest presenting problem categories, six of which account for 83% of all medical attendances, and be directed towards senior house officers.