Use of a hospital-based accident and emergency unit by children (0-12 years) in Alkharj, Saudi Arabia.

This cross-sectional study was carried out in order to define the extent and nature of inappropriate use of the accident and emergency (ER) unit in our community. Data were collected for all children aged < or = 12 years who attended the ER from 1 January to 31 March 1999. A total of 3329 children (2010 boys and 1339 girls) attended the ER during the study period. Respiratory tract infection was the most common presenting complaint (33.5%), followed by trauma (15.3%), bronchial asthma (13.7%) and gastro-intestinal problems (6.6%). Using the triage criteria of Alkharj Military Hospital, most of the boys (57%) and 32.6% of the girls were considered to be simple, primary care cases. The rate of referral to specialist clinics was 9.5% and only 4.7% were actually admitted. Attendance at night (53.5% boys, 59.8% girls) was significantly greater (p < 0.00001) than during the morning (0700-1500) and afternoon shifts (1500-2300 hours). This study shows that a large number of children attend the ER with non-urgent complaints.