Minor illness and injury: factors influencing attendance at a paediatric accident and emergency department.
OBJECTIVE
To gather information on children with minor illness or injury presenting to a paediatric 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 paediatric A&E departments as an appropriate place to seek treatment for children with minor illness or injury.
Hendry
S J
SJ
Accident and Emergency Department, Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Edinburgh, UK. scotthendry@doctors.org.uk
Beattie
T F
TF
Heaney
D
D
D000293:Adolescent; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003657:Decision Making; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005194:Family Practice; D005260:Female; D006300:Health Services Misuse / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D012606:Scotland; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy