[Neonatal hospitalization through a hospital emergency service in Uruguay].
OBJECTIVE
To determine the prevalence of neonatal admissions through a pediatric emergency department (PED), and to evaluate the characteristics of patients who present vital risk on arrival.


METHODS
We performed a descriptive, retrospective review of neonates aged 2-28 days arriving from home who presented to the pediatric emergency department between 01/01/03 and 31/12/03.


RESULTS
Of a total of 943 neonatal consultations, 277 (29.3 %) required admission. The most common diseases were respiratory (42.6 %) and fever without source (17 %). Among the 943 patients attended, 42 (4,5 %) showed vital risk, and in this group, 81 % were full term neonates, with a P50 of age of 19 days, and a P50 of weight of 3200 g. Among these, there was a predominance of infectious diseases (74 %), especially respiratory tract infections (50 %). Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) was identified in 14 of the 42 patients. Thirty-six percent required mechanical ventilation and 71.5 % were transferred to the pediatric intensive care unit. Sixty percent of the critically-ill neonates were admitted in the 3 winter months (p < 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
A high percentage of the neonates arriving from home required admission, and vital risk was more frequent in this age group than in other ages (p < 0.001). This does not correspond to risk related to perinatal pathology, or to nutritional reasons, but to community-acquired infections, particularly those of the respiratory tract, the most frequent cause of which is RSV.
Assandri Dávila
E
E
Centro Hospitalario Pereira Rossell, Departamento de Emergencia Pediátrica, Ministerio de Salud Pública, Unidad de Emergencia, Instituto de Pediatría, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República, Montevideo. Uruguay.
Ferreira García
M I
MI
Bello Pedrosa
O
O
de Leonardis Capelo
D
D
D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D009359:Neonatology / Q000379:methods*; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D018357:Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014583:Uruguay / Q000453:epidemiology