Influence of demographic changes on the number of visits to hospital emergency departments: 13 years experience

• Published in: Anales de Pediatría 2018-06, Vol.88 (6), p.322-328
• Main Authors: Guerra Diez, José Lorenzo, Gaite Pindado, Luis, Álvarez Álvarez, Cristina, Leonardo Cabello, María Teresa, Álvarez Granda, Lino, Cabero Pérez, María Jesús
• Format: Article
• Language: eng ; spa
• ISSN: 2341-2879
• DOI: 10.1016/j.anpedi.2017.06.012

OBJECTIVEThe aim of the present study is to describe the trend in volume and age-specific rates in visits to the Paediatric Emergency Department of a university teaching hospital in Cantabria (Spain) from January 2001 to December 2013, and evaluate the influence of population growth on Emergency Department use. MATERIAL AND METHODSA retrospective study was conducted in which an analysis was made on all Emergency Department visits over a 13 year period. Simple and polynomial linear regressions were used to assess the relationship between population size and Emergency Department attendance rates across 2 age groups (0-2 and 3-14 years). RESULTSFrom 2001 to 2013, attendance in the Emergency Department increased by 14.1%, whereas the paediatric population rose by 26.3%. Rates of presentation per head of population were greatest among those aged