The number of children taken to hospital emergency departments with common medical problems has risen sharply over the past decade in the UK. This may be as a result of the changes that have taken place to the way in which medical care is provided during evenings and at weekends.
Researchers looked at the medical records of children under the age of 15 who had attended the emergency department at Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham between February 2007 and February 2008. These findings were compared with information about children attending a decade earlier. During the 10 years, the number of patients attending the children's emergency department had remained similar, but the number attending with common medical problems had risen by 42%.
A total of 39,394 children were seen in 2007-8 of whom 14,724 had medical problems. This compared with 38,982 children who were seen overall in 1997, out of whom 10,369 had medical problems.
Ten common medical problems accounted for 85% of the most visits, including breathing difficulty, fever, diarrhoea (with or without vomiting), rash and cough.
The proportions of patients attending for each of these conditions were similar in 1997 and 2007-8, except for breathing difficulties.
The authors of the research, which was published in the BMJ, say, "Over a 10-year period, attendances to the paediatric emergency department have remained similar; however, there has been a disproportionate rise in the number attending with medical conditions. The presenting problems also remain similar, although there has been a significant reduction in those presenting with difficulty in breathing," write the authors.