Academic emergency medicine : official journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
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Interhospital transfer is a common strategy to provide high-quality regionalized care in rural emergency departments (EDs), but several reports have highlighted problems with selection of children for transfer. The purpose of this study is to characterize the burden of potentially avoidable transfer (PAT) and to estimate the medical and family-oriented costs associated with PAT. ⋯ Potentially avoidable pediatric interhospital transfer is common and is responsible for significant healthcare-related costs. Future work should focus on improving selection of children who benefit from interhospital transfer for high-yield conditions, to reduce the costly and distressing burden that PAT places on rural patients and their families.
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Multicenter Study
Predictors and outcomes of pediatric firearm injuries treated in the emergency department: Differences by mechanism of intent.
Firearm injuries among children are a major clinical and public health concern and one of the leading causes of pediatric fatalities. Our objective was to investigate differences in predictors and clinical outcomes between self-inflicted, violent, and unintentional pediatric firearm injuries for patients who present to pediatric emergency departments (EDs). ⋯ Self-inflicted, violent, and unintentional firearm injuries in children had distinct demographic risk factors and clinical and utilization outcomes. Targeted prevention and intervention efforts should be developed to reduce the incidence and severity of these injuries.