Table 2 ED patient characteristics
From: Epidemiology of patients presenting to a pediatric emergency department in Karachi, Pakistan
Characteristic | No. ED visits (%)a (N = 1269) |
|---|---|
Travel to hospital | |
Mode of transport | |
Taxi/rickshaw | 421 (33.2) |
Ambulance | 279 (22.0) |
Motorbike | 190 (15.0) |
Bus | 127 (10.0) |
Otherb | 114 (9.0) |
Travel time, median (IQR), min | 30 (20–60) |
Illness timeline | |
Symptom duration (before ED visit) | |
Sudden (< 24 h) | 481 (37.9) |
Recent (1–3 days) | 340 (26.8) |
Subacute (4–14 days) | 245 (19.3) |
Chronic (> 2 weeks) | 96 (7.6) |
Time before seeking any medical carec | |
< 24 h | 381 (30.0) |
≥ 24 h | 274 (21.6) |
Time of ED presentation (HH:MM) | |
00:00–05:59 | 193 (15.2) |
06:00–11:59 | 339 (26.7) |
12:00–17:59 | 442 (34.8) |
18:00–23:59 | 295 (23.3) |
Prior Care | |
No prior care | 331 (26.1) |
Referral from another provider | 494 (38.9) |
Returning to same hospital | 123 (9.7) |
Direct transfer from another provider | 92 (7.3) |
Vital signsd | |
Prior care without referral | 105 (8.3) |
Abnormal (≤36 °C or ≥ 38 °C) | 105 (8.3) |
Unmeasured | 430 (33.9) |
Pulse | |
Abnormale | 153 (12.1) |
Unmeasured | 727 (57.3) |
Respiratory rate | |
Abnormale | 327 (25.8) |
Unmeasured | 736 (58.0) |
Blood pressure | |
Abnormalf | Not calculated |
Unmeasured | 1259 (99.2) |
Pain present | 380 (30.0) |
Prior health status | |
Underweightg | 421 (33.2) |
Neonates, n = 378 | |
Pretermh | 85 (22.5) |
Low birth weighti | 97 (25.7) |
Age ≥ 28 days, n = 883 | |
No vaccinations | 91 (10.3) |