Per capita increase in hospital presentations and admissions among children since the 1990s.
OBJECTIVE
Data regarding temporal trends in per capita paediatric hospital presentations and admissions are required to inform health system and workforce planning.


METHODS
Emergency Department (ED) presentations and admissions to the University Hospital Geelong among patients aged 0 to 16 years over a 12-month period (2012-2013) were determined by review of hospital records and then compared with similar data collected during 1996/1997.1During each period, the Geelong region was serviced by a single ED, enabling us to estimate per capita presentation and admission rates.


RESULTS
Since 1996/1997, per capita paediatric presentations to the ED increased from 643 to 1837 per 10 000 (186%; 95% confidence interval 181% to 191%). Moreover, the proportion of paediatric ED presentations resulting in hospital admission increased from 12.3% to 18.3% (49%; 95% confidence interval 39% to 59%).


CONCLUSIONS
There has been a substantial absolute and per capita increase in paediatric ED presentations and hospital admissions since the 1990s. These trends place an increasing burden on the public hospital system, and strategies are required to promote paediatric acute care in the ambulatory setting.
Children's Services, Barwon Health, Geelong, Victoria, Australia.
Andrew
A
Hardy
Children's Services, Barwon Health, Geelong, Victoria, Australia.|Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia.|St John of God Hospital, Geelong, Victoria, Australia.
David G
DG
Fuller
Children's Services, Barwon Health, Geelong, Victoria, Australia.|Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia.|St John of God Hospital, Geelong, Victoria, Australia.|Child Health Research Unit, Barwon Health (CHERUB), Geelong, Victoria, Australia.
Mike
M
Forrester
Children's Services, Barwon Health, Geelong, Victoria, Australia.|Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia.|St John of God Hospital, Geelong, Victoria, Australia.
Kym P
KP
Anderson
Children's Services, Barwon Health, Geelong, Victoria, Australia.|Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia.|St John of God Hospital, Geelong, Victoria, Australia.
Chris
C
Cooper
Children's Services, Barwon Health, Geelong, Victoria, Australia.|Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia.|St John of God Hospital, Geelong, Victoria, Australia.
Bernard
B
Jenner
Children's Services, Barwon Health, Geelong, Victoria, Australia.|Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia.|St John of God Hospital, Geelong, Victoria, Australia.
Isaac
I
Marshall
Children's Services, Barwon Health, Geelong, Victoria, Australia.|Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia.|St John of God Hospital, Geelong, Victoria, Australia.|Child Health Research Unit, Barwon Health (CHERUB), Geelong, Victoria, Australia.
Kate
K
Mccloskey
Children's Services, Barwon Health, Geelong, Victoria, Australia.|Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia.|St John of God Hospital, Geelong, Victoria, Australia.
Christine
C
Sanderson
Children's Services, Barwon Health, Geelong, Victoria, Australia.|Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia.|St John of God Hospital, Geelong, Victoria, Australia.
Jane
J
Standish
Children's Services, Barwon Health, Geelong, Victoria, Australia. peter.vuillermin@deakin.edu.au.|Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia. peter.vuillermin@deakin.edu.au.|St John of God Hospital, Geelong, Victoria, Australia. peter.vuillermin@deakin.edu.au.|Child Health Research Unit, Barwon Health (CHERUB), Geelong, Victoria, Australia. peter.vuillermin@deakin.edu.au.|Murdoch Children's Research Unit, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. peter.vuillermin@deakin.edu.au.
Peter
P
Vuillermin
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016208:Databases, Factual; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000639:trends*; D006776:Hospitals, Pediatric; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000639:trends*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult
acute care; emergency department presentations; emergency medicine; hospital admissions; paediatrics