Primary Care Physician Follow-up of Distal Radius Buckle Fractures

Abstract

Objectives: Our main objective was to determine the proportion of children referred to a primary care provider (PCP) for follow-up of a distal radius buckle fracture who subsequently did not deviate from this reassessment strategy.

Methods: This prospective cohort study was conducted at a tertiary care pediatric emergency department (ED). Eligible children were aged 2 to 17 years with a distal radius buckle fracture treated with a removable splint and referred to the PCP for reassessment. We telephoned families 28 days after their ED visit. The primary outcome was the proportion who received PCP follow-up exclusively. We also measured the proportion who received PCP anticipatory guidance and those children who reported returning to usual activities "always" by 4 weeks.

Results: We enrolled 200 children, and 180 (90.0%) received telephone follow-up. Of these, 157 (87.2% [95% confidence interval: 82.3 to 92.1]) received PCP follow-up exclusively. Specifically, 11 (6.1%) families opted out of physician follow-up, 5 (2.8%) self-referred to an ED, and the PCP requested specialty consultation in 7 (3.9%) cases. Of the 164 with a PCP visit, 77 (47.0%) parents received anticipatory guidance on return to activities for their child, and 162 (98.8%) reported return to usual activities within 4 weeks.

Conclusions: The vast majority of children with distal radius buckle fractures presented to the PCP for follow-up and did not receive additional orthopedic surgeon or ED consultations. Despite a suboptimal rate of PCP advice on return to activities, almost all parents reported full return to usual activities within 4 weeks.