Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/9707
Title: A review of attendances at Paediatric Accident and Emergency Department at Mater Dei Hospital for neurological complaints patient
Authors: Duca, Bettina
Spiteri, Amaris
Cappello, Adriana
Attard, Stephen
Keywords: Pediatric neurology -- Malta -- Case studies
Hospitals -- Emergency services -- Malta -- Case studies
Emergency medical services -- Malta -- Case studies
Pediatrics -- Malta
Issue Date: 2016
Publisher: Malta Medical Journal
Citation: Malta Medical Journal. 2016, Vol. 28(1), p. 33-37
Abstract: Aims: Attendances at paediatric accident and emergency department (A&E) during a six month period were reviewed to determine the proportion of children with neurological complaints, type of symptoms and the outcomes in terms of admissions, discharges and out-patient referrals. Methods: Neurological complaints were classified as (a) febrile convulsions, (b) unprovoked seizures, (c) status epilepticus, (d) headaches, (e) altered consciousness, (f) acute ataxia, (g) flaccid weakness, (h) visual loss, or (i) others. Outcomes of these attendances were also recorded as either admission, referrals to out-patient clinics or discharges from A&E. Results: A total of 7670 children attended paediatric A&E during the study time of which 352 (4.5%) presented with neurological complaints. 173 children (49%) presented with headache, 54 (15.3%) presented with unprovoked seizures, 51 (14.4%) presented with febrile convulsions, 34 (9.6%) presented with altered consciousness and the remaining 40 children (11.7%) presented with various other complaints. 24.8% of children who presented with headache were admitted, 34.1% were referred to out-patient clinics and 41% were discharged. In contrast, 75.5% of children you presented with unprovoked seizures were admitted, 22.2% were referred to out-patient clinics and 3.7% were discharged. There were no deaths. Conclusion: 1 in 20 children who attended paediatric A&E presented with neurological complaints. One half of these children presented with headache, around one third presented with seizures (febrile and unprovoked), around 10% presented with altered consciousness. Around a half of these children were admitted, a quarter were discharged home and the other quarter were referred to out-patient clinics.
URI: https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar//handle/123456789/9707
Appears in Collections:MMJ, Volume 28, Issue 1
MMJ, Volume 28, Issue 1

Files in This Item:
File Description SizeFormat 
A review of attendances at Paediatric Accident.pdf770.54 kBAdobe PDFView/Open


Items in OAR@UM are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.