Characteristics and outcomes of patients with an unscheduled return visit within 72 hours to the Paediatric Emergency Centre at a Private Tertiary Referral Hospital in Kenya

Introduction: Patients’ unscheduled return visits (URVs) to the paediatric emergency Centre (PEC) contribute to overcrowding and affect health service delivery and overall quality of care. This study assessed the characteristics and outcomes of paediatric patients with URVs (within 72 hours) to the PEC at a private tertiary hospital in Kenya. Methods: We conducted a retrospective chart review of all URVs within 72 hours among paediatric patients aged ≤15 years between 1 July and 31 December 2018 at the tertiary hospital in Nairobi, Kenya. Results: During the study period, 1.6% (n=172) of patients who visited the PEC returned within 72 hours, with 4.7% revisiting the PEC more than once. Patients’ median age was 36 months (interquartile range: 42 months); over half were male (51.7%), 55.8% were ambulatory and 84.3% were insured. In addition, 21% (n=36) had chronic diseases and 7% (n=12) had drug allergies. Respiratory (59.5%) and gastrointestinal (21.5%) tract infections were the most common diagnoses. Compared with the first visit, more patients with URVs were classified as urgent (1.7% vs. 5.2%) and were non-ambulatory (44.2% vs. 49.5%, p=