Patterns of paediatric emergency presentations to a tertiary referral centre in the Northern Territory

Objective To describe epidemiological data concerning paediatric attendances at the ED of Royal Darwin Hospital (RDH). Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study of paediatric emergency presentations to the RDH ED during 2004 and 2013. Epidemiological data, including demographics, admission rates and diagnostic grouping, were analysed using descriptive and comparative statistical methods. We compared data with findings from a baseline epidemiological study by the Paediatric Research in Emergency Departments International Collaborative (PREDICT) conducted in 2004. Results A total of 12 745 and 15 378 paediatric presentations (age 0–18 years) to the RDH ED were analysed for the years 2004 and 2013 respectively. In 2004, the mean age of children presenting to RDH was 7.1 years, and 56.0% were female. Indigenous patients accounted for 31.2% of presentations at RDH and were significantly more likely to be admitted than non‐Indigenous patients (31.6% vs 12.8%, OR 3.24, 95% CI 2.95–3.55). Children