Differences in Utilisation of the General and Paediatric Emergency Departments by Paediatric Patients

Introduction: Paediatric patients presenting to the general emergency departments (EDs) differ from those presenting to paediatric EDs. General EDs vary in preparedness to manage paediatric patients, which may affect delivery of emergency care with varying clinical outcomes. We aimed to elucidate the differences in utilisation patterns of paediatric and general EDs by paediatric patients. Methods: This study was conducted in a public healthcare cluster in Singapore consisting of 4 hospitals. A retrospective review of the medical records of paediatric patients, defined as age younger than 16 years old, who attended the EDs from 1 January 2015 to 31 December 2018, was performed. Data were collected using a standardised form and analysed. Results: Of the 704,582 attendances, 686,546 (97.4%) were seen at the paediatric ED. General EDs saw greater number of paediatric patients in the emergent (P1) category (921 [5.1%] versus 14,829 [2.2%]; P<0.01) and those with trauma-related presentations (6,669 [37.0%] vs 108,822 [15.9%]; P<0.01). The mortality of paediatric patients was low overall but significantly higher in general EDs (39 [0.2%] vs 32 [0.005%]; P<0.01). Seizure, asthma/bronchitis/bronchiolitis, allergic reaction, cardiac arrest and buns were the top 5 diagnoses that accounted for 517 (56.1%) of all emergent (P1) cases seen at general EDs. Conclusion: General EDs need to build their capabilities and enhance their preparedness according to the paediatric population they serve so that optimal paediatric emergency care can be delivered, especially for critically ill patients who are most in need of life-saving and timely treatment.