• Andrew Hardy, David G Fuller, Mike Forrester, Kym P Anderson, Chris Cooper, Bernard Jenner, Isaac Marshall, Kate Mccloskey, Christine Sanderson, Jane Standish, and Peter Vuillermin.
• Children's Services, Barwon Health, Geelong, Victoria, Australia.
• J Paediatr Child Health. 2016 Oct 1; 52 (10): 935-938.

AimData regarding temporal trends in per capita paediatric hospital presentations and admissions are required to inform health system and workforce planning.MethodsEmergency Department (ED) presentations and admissions to the University Hospital Geelong among patients aged 0 to 16 years over a 12-month period (2012-2013) were determined by review of hospital records and then compared with similar data collected during 1996/1997.1 During each period, the Geelong region was serviced by a single ED, enabling us to estimate per capita presentation and admission rates.ResultsSince 1996/1997, per capita paediatric presentations to the ED increased from 643 to 1837 per 10 000 (186%; 95% confidence interval 181% to 191%). Moreover, the proportion of paediatric ED presentations resulting in hospital admission increased from 12.3% to 18.3% (49%; 95% confidence interval 39% to 59%).ConclusionsThere has been a substantial absolute and per capita increase in paediatric ED presentations and hospital admissions since the 1990s. These trends place an increasing burden on the public hospital system, and strategies are required to promote paediatric acute care in the ambulatory setting.© 2016 Paediatrics and Child Health Division (The Royal Australasian College of Physicians).

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