Childhood adversities and emergency room visits

Abstract

Introduction

Institutionalized children and adolescents who reside in foster centres are a subgroup of population that use mental health resources. This group of population has an increased risk of physical and psychopathology health problems. That translates into a greater number of emergency visits. This is the same perception presented by different professionals.

Objectives

The aim of the study is to analyse visits to emergency child and adolescent psychiatry service from a pediatric hospital. Also ask for a point of view of the professionals about it.

Methods

We select all the patients attended the emergency psychiatry child and adolescent care that were institutionalized. The sample was collected for 4 months in a pediatric hospital.

Results

n = 66 (51.5% male; mean age 14.09 ± 1.95 years old), 31.8% was the first time at the emergency room, 31.8% had consulted between 2–4 times and 36.4% over 4 times. The main reason for consultation was aggressiveness (66.7%). The three main discharge diagnoses were conduct disorder (50%), adjustment disorder (25.7%) and TDAH (7.5%) The 45.5% had a history of drug use and the 24.2% of self-harm. Asking professionals 80% responded perception of increased emergency consultations and the 90% think inadequate value between 50–70% of queries.

Conclusions

The boys institutionalized perform a high use of paediatric and psychiatric emergencies. There are a significant number of re-consultations. Professionals have the perception that their emergency visits are increasing. Since patients are at high risk of suffering mental disorders and high use of emergency would be interesting to develop specific protocols for emergency care for these groups.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.