Table 1.
Patient characteristics for academic pediatric, general academic pediatric and community emergency department (ED).
| Characteristic | Academic Pediatric Hospital ED (n=200) | General Academic Pediatric ED (n=100) | Community ED (n=92) | All Patients (n=392) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Female, n, % | 114, 57% | 61, 61% | 55, 60% | 230, 59% |
| Predisposing conditions | ||||
| History of prior abscess | 55, 28% | 34, 34% | 16, 17% | 105, 27% |
| In contact with prior abscess patient | 39, 20% | 26, 26% | 7, 8% | 72, 18% |
| Attend daycare (children <5 years) | 17 of 101, 17% | 4 of 30, 13% | 4 of 35, 11% | 25 of 166, 15% |
| Hospitalized in past 30 days | 13, 7% | 3, 3% | 4, 4% | 20, 5% |
| Most common abscess sites | ||||
| Lower extremity | 50, 25% | 42, 42% | 29, 32% | 121, 31% |
| Buttock | 51, 26% | 21, 21% | 22, 24% | 94, 24% |
| Abdomen | 16, 8% | 17, 17% | 11, 12% | 44, 11% |
| Face | 23, 12% | 6, 6% | 9, 10% | 38, 10% |
| Upper extremity | 22, 11% | 8, 8% | 7, 8% | 37, 9% |
| Axilla | 13, 7% | 9, 9% | 4, 4% | 26, 7% |
| Groin | 14, 7% | 5, 5% | 5, 5% | 24, 6% |
| Multiple abscesses at presentation | 59, 30% | 31, 31% | 7, 8% | 97, 25% |
| Surrounding cellulitis* | 168, 84% | 21, 21% | 16, 17% | 205, 52% |
| Presence of fever (≥38° Celsius)† | 41, 21% | 11, 11% | 13, 14% | 65, 17% |
| Hospitalized | 48, 24% | 0 | 10, 11% | 58, 15% |
*
If noted in the medical record that there was an area of cellulitis surrounding the abscess
†
Temperature measured rectally in children <5 years and orally if ≥5 years.