Children with recurrent hospitalizations: a problem of disabled children, parents, and physicians.
Twelve infants are reported with more than 10 hospitalizations usually less than five days in duration; occurring for life threatening symptoms predominantly of respiratory nature. The physical examination, growth, and development were normal. Symptoms rarely occurred during the period of hospitalization. Multiple diagnoses and a variety of hospitals and physicians were involved with each patient. The parents had extremely high levels of anxiety and the professional staffs were exceedingly frustrated. Past events in the family, pregnancy, or perinatal history appeared to contribute to the parental perception of their child's vulnerability. Management involved lengthening the hospitalization time to (1) explore the possible diagnosis and (2) carefully review all questions of the parents. This process fostered the emergence of a sense of safety in the parent around their child. No further hospitalizations occurred after the intervention process. The picture may result from a disturbance in a parent's perception of a particular child leading to a heightened level of fear coupled with difficulty in physicians to allay the fear.
D001007:Anxiety; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002673:Child, Hospitalized / Q000523:psychology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004630:Emergencies; D005239:Fear; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D010359:Patient Readmission; D012120:Respiration Disorders / Q000523:psychology*