Early neonatal presentations to the pediatric emergency department.

UNLABELLED: As a result of shorter postpartum hospital stays, many medical concerns, which traditionally have been managed in newborn nurseries, are presenting to the pediatric emergency department (PED). We undertook a study to determine the profile of early neonatal visits to the PED. In addition, we examined the influence of maternal factors and length of postpartum hospital stay on PED visits. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective chart review of all neonates < or = 8 days of age who presented to the PED between June 1990 and May 1995. Data gathered from neonatal and corresponding maternal charts included neonatal and maternal demographics, prenatal instruction, length of postpartum stay, source of referral, age at presentation, presenting complaint, diagnosis, disposition, and course in hospital, if admitted. RESULTS: A total of 559 neonatal visits were identified. Neonatal use of the PED increased 245% compared to an overall increase in PED use of 8.7% during the study period. Jaundice, difficulty breathing, feeding problems, and irritability were the most common presenting complaints while the most frequent diagnoses were normal physiology, jaundice, feeding problems, and query sepsis. Our overall admission rate was 33%. Self-referred patients were at a significantly lower risk of serious illness (16% admitted vs 49 % of consult patients). The self-referral rate increased with maternal age less than 21, single marital status, no prenatal classes, and primiparity. The length of postpartum hospital stay was identified in 389 neonates (55 early discharge (ED) and 334 non-early discharge (NED). The ED group had a significant increase in annual PED utilization compared to the NED group changing from 2% of the total population in study year 1 to over 31% in the final year. The ED and NED groups did not differ significantly with respect to the majority of chief complaints, frequency of PED diagnoses, admission rates, or maternal characteristics. CONCLUSIONS: Use of the PED by neonates < or = 8 days of age increased significantly over the study period. The majority of neonates presented by self-referral and were discharged with advice only. Mothers who were young, single, primiparous, or who had not attended prenatal classes presented with neonates who were less seriously ill. Although ED neonates represent an enlarging subset of PED visitors, they do not appear to differ significantly from NED neonates with respect to PED complaints, diagnoses, and disposition.

Appropriateness of hospitalization in a Canadian pediatric hospital.

Allocation of limited resources in the Canadian health care system is hampered by a lack of studies addressing the appropriateness of the pediatric patient days in hospital. The authors retrospectively reviewed one hospital day per month in 1988, using a Pediatric Appropriateness Evaluation Protocol previously used in the United States. Of 878 inpatients, 852 charts were reviewed, and 26 charts were unavailable for study. The patients ranged in age from premature newborns to 20 years old. There were 475 medical days, 359 surgical days, and 18 patients to other services. Statistical significance was tested using the chi 2 test for contingency tables. Twenty-four percent of patient days were inappropriate. Younger children and shorter lengths of stay were more likely to result in appropriate hospital days. For infants younger than 60 days, 11% of days in hospital were inappropriate, 21% of days for infants between 2 months and 1 year of age, 25% for children between 1 and 5 years, and 36% for children older than 5 years of age. Children hospitalized 2 days or less had inappropriate hospital days accounting for 16% of the reviewed days. This increased to 33% for 3 to 14 days of hospitalization. Inappropriate hospital days did not vary significantly from month to month. Surgical patients had more appropriate hospital days than medical patients. Admission route (elective, emergency, or transferred from another hospital) did not affect the appropriateness of the subsequent day reviewed. It is concluded that inappropriate hospitalization in a Canadian pediatric hospital occurs only slightly more frequently than in an American pediatric hospital.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)