Pediatric patients accessing Accident and Emergency Department (A&E) for non-urgent treatment: Why do parents take their children to the A&E?

Abstract Introduction About 20–30% of children access the Pediatric Accident and Emergency Department (AE male 58%). The most common symptoms were fever (n = 105; 44.1%) and skin rash (n = 63; 26.5%); symptoms usually started more than 24 h earlier (n = 163; 69.4%). Reasons for accessing the AE 29.8%), deterioration of the clinical conditions after the pediatrician’s visit (n = 67; 28.2%), and the perceived need for urgent care (n = 65; 27.3%). Besides, 26.6% (n = 63) of parents reported not being able to contact their pediatrician before accessing A&E. Conclusion Parents may need further education to distinguish between urgent and non-urgent pediatric health conditions.