Source: Annual Congress 2002 - Miscellaneous respiratory infections in children

Abstract

Aims:Health Services aim to provide the highest standard of care with limited resources. We aimed to assess the costs incurred by children presenting with a breathing difficulty to an emergency department.
Methods: A questionnaire was completed from September 2000 to March 2001. This recorded symptoms, grade of consulting doctor, investigations, treatments, final diagnosis and for those admitted, length of stay. Estimation of costs was based on available data on the cost of attendance to an emergency department, inpatient stay, costs of various investigations and treatments.
Results: The total cost of 1253 children presenting with an acute breathing difficulty during the study period was [brpound]400,500 ([brpound]319.63 per child).Those admitted had on average 3 times as many investigations performed in the emergency department compared to those discharged (an average of 1.22 investigations for those admitted versus 0.38 for discharged children) and twice as many treatments (1.4 compared with 0.77). On average the total cost of attending with breathing difficulty but being discharged from the emergency department was [brpound]72.78 per child. In contrast, the average cost of attending followed by admission was [brpound]902.00 per child. This compares to the cost of a child attending primary care being [brpound]18 per consultation per child.
Conclusion: Attendance and treatment to the emergency services incurs considerable costs which are substantially increased if admission follows attendance. Encouraging health professionals to follow clinical guidelines should ensure that investigations performed, treatment provided and decisions to admit are appropriate and has the potential to reduce costs.

Rating:

Share or cite this content

Citations should be made in the following way:
M. Lakhanpaul, P. Lorgelly, T. J. Stephenson, R. MacFaul, U. Werneke (Nottingham, Wakefield, United Kingdom). Cost implications for a child attending the emergency department with an acute breathing difficulty. Eur Respir J 2002; 20: Suppl. 38, 2094

Member's Comments

No comment yet.

Related content which might interest you: The impact of educational intervention in children with asthma following emergency department visits Source: Annual Congress 2008 - Exercise-induced asthma, acute severe asthma and allergic rhinitis in children Year: 2008 Effect of outpatient follow-up in preventing repeat pediatric emergency department asthma visits in an American-managed care organization Source: Eur Respir J 2002; 20: Suppl. 38, 331s Year: 2002 The cost of COPD in the emergency department and hospital Source: Eur Respir J 2003; 22: Suppl. 45, 216s Year: 2003 A nurse phone educational program enhances health status of asthmatic patients after an emergency department admission for acute exacerbation Source: International Congress 2018 – Asthma: clinical screening tools Year: 2018 Assessment and management of mild to moderate asthma in an A&E department at a busy university hospital Source: Annual Congress 2009 - Epidemiology of COPD Year: 2009 Accuracy of emergency room diagnosis of pneumonia in patients admitted to acute care hospital medical units Source: Eur Respir J 2005; 26: Suppl. 49, 258s Year: 2005 Treatment of acute asthma in the emergency department Source: Eur Respir J 2006; 28: Suppl. 50, 442s Year: 2006 Does the multidisciplinary input of an asthma nurse specialist and respiratory physician improve the discharge management of acute asthma admissions? Source: Annual Congress 2010 - The nursing challenges and strategies when caring for patients with chronic lung disease Year: 2010 Audit of recurrent asthma presentations in accident and emergency (A&E) department Source: Annual Congress 2010 - Therapy and health economics of asthma and COPD Year: 2010 Exacerbation rates and healthcare costs following hospitalizations and emergency department visits for COPD Source: Annual Congress 2010 - Risk factors, prevalence and consequences of COPD Year: 2010 Patient-centred asthma education in the emergency department: the case against Source: Eur Respir J 2008; 31: 922-923 Year: 2008 Patient-centred asthma education in the emergency department: the case in favour Source: Eur Respir J 2008; 31: 920-921 Year: 2008 The impact of COVID-19 and virtual clinics on physician behaviour in respiratory ambulatory care. Source: Virtual Congress 2021 – E-health for COVID-19 Year: 2021 Previous experience of health service use in children presenting to an emergency department(ED) with acute asthma? Source: Eur Respir J 2004; 24: Suppl. 48, 611s Year: 2004 Clinical characteristics of acute asthma presentation to the emergency department Source: Annual Congress 2011 - Asthma: a heterogeneous disease Year: 2011 COPD attendances in a busy emergency department; frequency and timing Source: International Congress 2016 – Monitoring airway diseases with clinical tools Year: 2016 Characteristics of patients with acute asthma in the emergency department in Brazil Source: Eur Respir J 2002; 20: Suppl. 38, 200s Year: 2002 Smoking rate among patients and caregivers seen in the respiratory emergency department of a tertiary hospital Source: International Congress 2018 – Tobacco use, attitudes and cessation training among healthcare professionals and prevention programmes Year: 2018 Clinical asthma score as a predictor for hospital admissions and duration of stay in children presenting with acute asthma to a paediatric emergency department Source: Annual Congress 2013 –Uncontrolled and severe asthma in children Year: 2013 Home-based maintenance tele-rehabilitation reduces the risk for acute exacerbations of COPD, hospitalisations and emergency department visits Source: Eur Respir J, 49 (5) 1602129; 10.1183/13993003.02129-2016 Year: 2017