PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Patrick Aldridge
AU  - Sarah Wilson
AU  - Damian Roland
AU  - Gerard McCann
AU  - Richard George Burridge
TI  - Impact of COVID-19 on paediatric emergency department attendances at four English hospitals
AID  - 10.1136/bmjpo-2021-001345
DP  - 2022 Feb 01
TA  - BMJ Paediatrics Open
PG  - e001345
VI  - 6
IP  - 1
4099  - http://bmjpaedsopen.bmj.com/content/6/1/e001345.short
4100  - http://bmjpaedsopen.bmj.com/content/6/1/e001345.full
SO  - BMJ Paediatrics Open2022 Feb 01; 6
AB  - Paediatric emergency department (PED) attendances reduced worldwide during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020) but anecdotally babies under 30 days (BUD) appeared less affected. We collated monthly PED attendances (16 years and under) across four hospitals (three district general hospitals and a tertiary specialist PED) in England, UK from January 2017 to December 2020. Gross PED attendances dropped by 34% in 2020 (n=98 256) compared to 2019 (n=148 640). However, cumulative BUD attendances dropped by only 6% in 2020 (n=3922) compared to 2019 (n=4162). Monthly site-specific attendances showed marginal variation. PED attendances broadly decreased in 2020 with less of an impact on BUD.