Irish medical journal
-
We describe the nature, frequency, and characteristics of transfers to a regional centre. This was a three month prospective descriptive study of all transfers into the hospital through the ED and a further sample survey of 100 patients received into the resuscitation room over a 2 year period. 105 patient transfers were surveyed over the three month period. A significant number (43 patients) arrived at the ED without prior notification being received by ED staff, a proportion (7 patients) warranting resuscitation room assessment. ⋯ Only 51% of transferred patients had an IV line in situ. 4 out of the 8 transfers into the resuscitation room performed by interns were associated with adverse events. There continues to be problems with the quality of care that these patients receive. Clinicians must be actively involved in the development of regional transfer protocols and interfacility agreements to ensure the safe transfer of patients to definitive care.
-
To investigate the interface between primary care and paediatric services in the referral of asylum seekers. Over a 3 month period a questionnaire was administered, and clinical data gathered on every child attending the A&E department of UCHG whose parents were seeking asylum in this country. ⋯ The rate of subsequent admission to the paediatric ward from A&E was nearly that in asylum seeker children (24%) compared to Irish controls (40%), get to hospital, compared to just 4% of Irish children. Asylum seeker children are less likely to have seen a GP prior to A&E presentation, more likely to go to hospital by ambulance and less likely to be subsequently admitted, suggesting an over-dependence on paediatric hospital services in this population.