Table 2. Comparison of clinical characteristics between admitted and discharged neurologic patients presenting to the PED-ED.
| Characteristic | Admission (n=1,147) | Discharge (n=1,168) | p |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age distribution, year(s) | <0.001 | ||
| 0–1 | 268 (23.4) | 261 (22.3) | |
| 2–5 | 363 (21.6) | 398 (34.1) | |
| 6–12 | 330 (28.8) | 335 (28.7) | |
| 13–17 | 138 (12.0) | 167 (14.3) | |
| ≥18 | 48 (4.2) | 7 (0.6) | |
| Age, years | 5.0 [0–41], 6.4±5.8 | 4.0 [0–34], 6.0±5.0 | <0.001 |
| Age range, years | <0.001 | ||
| N-PEDs, <18 | 1,099 (95.8) | 1,161 (99.4) | |
| N-TAPs, ≥18 | 48 (4.2) | 7 (0.6) | |
| Sex, males:females | 651:496 (56.8:43.2) | 694:474 (59.4:40.6) | 0.206 |
| Time of presentation | <0.001 | ||
| 2013 | 381 (33.2) | 256 (21.9) | |
| 2014 | 246 (21.4) | 226 (22.8) | |
| 2015 | 210 (18.3) | 234 (20.0) | |
| 2016 | 154 (13.4) | 181 (15.5) | |
| 2017 | 156 (13.6) | 231 (19.8) | |
| Route of entry | <0.001 | ||
| Direct presentation | 968 (84.4) | 1,116 (95.5) | |
| Referred from outpatient clinic | 85 (7.4) | 7 (0.6) | |
| Transferred | 94 (8.2) | 45 (3.9) | |
| Main symptoms | |||
| Febrile seizure | 149 (13.0) | 411 (35.2) | <0.001 |
| Headache | 186 (16.2) | 322 (27.6) | <0.001 |
| Fever | 282 (24.6) | 155 (13.3) | <0.001 |
| Afebrile seizure | 216 (18.8) | 149 (12.8) | <0.001 |
| Nausea/vomiting | 59 (5.1) | 37 (3.2) | 0.021 |
| General weakness/poor oral intake/lethargy | 53 (4.6) | 21 (1.8) | <0.001 |
| Dyspnea | 38 (3.3) | 12 (1.0) | <0.001 |
| Cough/sputum | 44 (3.8) | 5 (0.4) | <0.001 |
| Mental change | 21 (1.8) | 17 (1.5) | 0.516 |
| Dizziness/syncope | 7 (0.6) | 26 (2.2) | 0.001 |
| Emergency situation (CPR/status epilepticus/drug intoxication) | 23 (2.0) | 1 (0.1) | 0.001 |
| Gait disturbance | 18 (1.6) | 1 (0.1) | <0.001 |
| Diarrhea | 14 (1.2) | 0 (0) | <0.001 |
| Abdominal pain | 11 (1.0) | 3 (0.3) | 0.033 |
| Allergy/skin lesion | 7 (0.6) | 1 (0.1) | 0.037 |
| Facial asymmetry | 3 (0.3) | 5 (0.4) | 0.726 |
| Gastrointestinal bleeding | 5 (0.4) | 0 (0) | 0.030 |
| Constipation/ileus | 2 (0.2) | 0 (0) | 0.245 |
| Other | 9 (0.8) | 2 (0.2) | 0.037 |
| Severity level, KTAS score | <0.001 | ||
| 1 (need for resuscitation) | 28 (2.4) | 1 (0.1) | |
| 2 (emergency) | 240 (20.9) | 6 (0.5) | |
| 3 (urgent) | 817 (71.2) | 896 (76.7) | |
| 4 (less urgent) | 59 (5.1) | 262 (22.4) | |
| 5 (nonurgent) | 3 (0.3) | 3 (0.3) | |
| Main diagnoses | |||
| Neurologic diagnosis group | 784 (68.4) | 1017 (87.1) | <0.001 |
| Epilepsy | 249 (21.7) | 144 (12.3) | <0.001 |
| Febrile seizure | 141 (12.3) | 464 (39.7) | <0.001 |
| Meningitis | 233 (20.3) | 317 (27.1) | <0.001 |
| Encephalitis | 33 (2.9) | 1 (0.1) | <0.001 |
| Migraine | 7 (0.6) | 59 (5.1) | <0.001 |
| Metabolic encephalopathy | 105 (9.2) | 22 (1.9) | <0.001 |
| Myopathy | 10 (0.9) | 5 (0.4) | 0.205 |
| Peripheral neuropathy | 6 (0.5) | 5 (0.4) | 0.772 |
| Systemic diagnosis group | 363 (31.6) | 151 (12.9) | <0.001 |
| Sepsis | 49 (4.3) | 1 (0.1) | <0.001 |
| Lower respiratory infection | 94 (8.2) | 5 (0.4) | <0.001 |
| Upper respiratory infection | 72 (6.3) | 121 (10.4) | <0.001 |
| Viral infection | 22 (1.9) | 3 (0.3) | <0.001 |
| Acute bronchitis/bronchiolitis/asthma/croup | 18 (1.6) | 2 (0.2) | <0.001 |
| Acute gastroenteritis/ileus/intussusception | 77 (6.7) | 11 (0.9) | <0.001 |
| Urticaria | 7 (0.6) | 2 (0.2) | 0.106 |
| Other | 24 (2.1) | 6 (0.5) | 0.001 |
| Insurance | |||
| National Health Insurance Service | 1,066 (92.9) | 1,133 (97.0) | <0.001 |
| Medical Aid program | 75 (6.6) | 24 (2.1) | <0.001 |
| International health insurance | 4 (0.3) | 5 (0.4) | 0.759 |
| Other | 2 (0.2) | 6 (0.5) | 0.288 |
Data are n (%), mean±standard-deviation, or median [range] values.
CPR: cardiopulmonary resuscitation, KTAS: Korean Triage and Acuity Scale, N-PEDs: pediatric patients with neurologic diseases, N-TAPs: transient and adult patients with neurologic diseases, PED-ED: pediatric emergency department.