Citation

Hendry SJ, Beattie TF, Heaney D. Arch. Dis. Child. 2005; 90(6): 629-633.

Affiliation

Accident and Emergency Department, Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Edinburgh, UK. scotthendry@doctors.org.uk

Copyright

(Copyright © 2005, BMJ Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1136/adc.2004.049502

PMID

15908631

PMCID

PMC1720434

Abstract

AIMS: To gather information on children with minor illness or injury presenting to a pediatric accident and emergency (A&E) department and the decision making process leading to their attendance. METHODS: Prospective questionnaire based survey of 465 children selected by systematic sampling from A&E attenders allocated to the lowest triage category. RESULTS: The study population was statistically representative of the total population of A&E attenders. The lower deprivation categories were over represented. Educational attainment, childcare experience, and parental coping skills were important in relation to A&E attendance. More children attended with injury as opposed to illness. There were no significant demographic differences between those children who presented directly to A&E and those who made prior contact with a GP. Just under half the study population had made contact with a general practitioner (GP) before attending A&E. The majority of those children were directly referred to A&E at that point. GPs referred equivalent numbers of children with illness and injury. CONCLUSIONS: Parents and GPs view pediatric A&E departments as an appropriate place to seek treatment for children with minor illness or injury.