%0 Journal Article
%T Minor illness and injury: factors influencing attendance at a pediatric accident and emergency department
%J Archives of disease in childhood
%D 2005
%A Hendry, S. J.
%A Beattie, Tom F.
%A Heaney, D.
%V 90
%N 6
%P 629-633
%X 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.
%G 
%I BMJ Publishing Group
%@ 0003-9888
%U http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/adc.2004.049502