Objectives: The objectives were (1) to present a preliminary evaluation of outcomes after pediatric emergency department (PED) minor injury care (not previously described) and (2) to test the feasibility of study methods and of a HRQOL tool in this acute care setting.
Methods: A prospective observational study of clinical and functional short-term outcomes in PED patients with minor injury was performed.
Results: Thirty-five (80%) of 44 families completed telephone follow-up. Children had a median of 3 days of pain; 24% had pain for more than 7 days. Children returned to normal activity in a median of 3 days, and 37%, in more than 7 days. Fifty percent of families had normal activities disrupted, with median of 5 days and 39% in more than 7 days. Among children with school/scheduled activities, 55% missed more than 3 days, and 20% missed more than 7 days. Among parents who missed work/school, the mean was 1 day, and 22% missed more than 3 days. The acute Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) was feasible for emergency department/follow-up use and had the expected inverse correlations with poor outcomes.
Conclusions: We found significant morbidity after PED treatment of minor injury. The study methods and PedsQL patient and proxy forms were feasible for emergency department use. The PedsQL had some initial indications of construct validity for this population.