Utilization of Pediatric Emergency Medical Center Depending on Visiting Time

Song, Wonmo; Noh, Hyun; Ahn, Ki Ok; Jeong, Si Young; Suh, Joohyun

J Korean Soc Emerg Med > Volume 27(2); 2016 > Article

Original Article

Journal of The Korean Society of Emergency Medicine 2016;27(2): 182-188.

일개 소아전용응급센터에서 환자 방문 일시에 따른 이용 행태의 특징

송원모¹, 노현^2,3, 안기옥³, 정시영¹, 서주현¹

¹명지병원 응급의학교실
²인제대학교 서울백병원 응급의학교실
³서울대학교병원 의생명연구원 응급의료연구소

Utilization of Pediatric Emergency Medical Center Depending on Visiting Time

Wonmo Song¹, Hyun Noh^2,3, Ki Ok Ahn³, Si Young Jeong¹, Joohyun Suh¹

¹Department of Emergency Medicine, Myongji Hospital, Gyeonggi-do, Korea
²Inje University College of Medicine, Inje University Seoul Paik Hospital, Korea
³Laboratory of Emergency Medical Service, Bio-medical Research Institute, Seoul National University Hospital, Korea

Correspondence

Joohyun Suh ,Tel: 031) 810-5114, Fax: 031) 810-0500, Email: joohyun.suh@mjh.or.kr,

Received: April 27, 2015; Revised: April 28, 2015 Accepted: July 28, 2015. Published online: April 30, 2016.

ABSTRACT

Purpose:
Many patients who may be treated in primary care clinics resort to emergency centers during the off hours of such clinics. This may cause overcrowding of emergency centers and increased medical expenses. The aim of this study is to consider the optimal management of medical facilities for pediatric patients at night or on holidays.
Method:
The medical records of patients under the age of 16 years who had visited a pediatric emergency medical center during a two-year period between January 2012 and December 2013 were reviewed retrospectively. We examined how factors including the age group, disease/injury distinction, tentative diagnosis, use of the emergency medical service ambulances, and the final disposition of the patients varied depending on the availability of medical facilities.
Results:
Among the 32,951 pediatric patients, approximately half visited the center on holidays (51.6%), and a quarter were injury patients (26.4%). Fever (38.8%) and head injury (16.1%) were the most frequent tentative diagnosis in diseases and injuries, respectively. More visits of infants and toddlers and disease patients occurred on days and hours of low medical service availability, and there were relatively few injury patients in the late night hours.
Conclusion:
These findings suggest that closing pediatric clinics around midnight is reasonable. More facilities operating at night and on holidays for pediatric patients are needed.

Key words: Emergencies, Pediatrics, Epidemiology