title: [Activity of pediatric emergency departments in 1991].
abstract: The authors report the results of a prospective survey concerning the children examined in the pediatric emergency ward of the Lenval's hospital in Nice. The study was conducted over a period of 124 days, one month of each season, and included 3,611 children. There was a majority of boys (60.8%) and children older than 7 years (56.8%). The representation of foreign children was 11.2%. Most of the consultations were decided by the parents (86%); 6.2% were sent by a general practitioner and 1.1% by a pediatrician; 6.5% were conveyed through a professional public health service transport. Traumatology was the main surgical etiology and supplied the large majority of benign cases and 23% of the emergencies. Upper respiratory and bronchopulmonary tract infections and gastroenteritis represented 70% of medical etiologies. A complementary investigation, essentially a radiological examination, was carried out in 53.6% of cases. A wound suture was performed in 13% and a plaster immobilization in 9.2% of cases. The hospitalisation's rate was 22%. Emergencies represented 1.8% of cases. A surgical intervention with general anesthesia was performed in 4.4% of cases within 12 hours following the admission. A recent law (ministerial circular: 14.05, 1991) defines the organisation and working principles of the public emergency departments in France as requiring an uninterrupted activity, a continuous medical presence and an area for very short hospitalization. This should improve the quality of the pediatric emergency wards, providing that the financial means will be available.
authors.affiliation: Hôpital Lenval pour enfants, Nice, France.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Velin
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Puig
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dupont
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hayem
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Parizot
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Barbot-Boileau
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D006776:Hospitals, Pediatric; D006788:Hospitals, Voluntary / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011446:Prospective Studies
vernacular_title: Activité d'un service d'accueil des urgences pédiatriques en 1991.