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Review
. 2025 Jun;52(2):269-277.
doi: 10.1111/birt.12877. Epub 2024 Sep 24.

Reasons for Neonatal Presentations to Pediatric Emergency Departments in Catania: Multicentric Cross-Sectional Analysis and Exhaustive Review of the Literature

Raffaele Falsaperla  1   2 , Mariaclaudia Meli  2 , Vincenzo Sortino  2 , Silvia Marino  2 , Lucia Tardino  2 , Gian Luca Trobia  3 , Massimo Barbagallo  4 , Bruna Scalia  1 ; Sicilian Group of the Italian Society of Neonatology (SIN)
Affiliations
Review

Reasons for Neonatal Presentations to Pediatric Emergency Departments in Catania: Multicentric Cross-Sectional Analysis and Exhaustive Review of the Literature

Raffaele Falsaperla et al. Birth. 2025 Jun.

Abstract

Introduction: This study aimed to characterize neonatal admissions to pediatric emergency departments (PEDs) in Catania, to analyze the primary pediatric conditions leading to these admissions, and to explore the association between the demographic characteristics of the population and the severity of their presentations.

Materials and methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on neonates (aged <28 days) admitted to three PEDs in Catania between January 2015 and December 2019. Additionally, a comprehensive review of the literature on this topic was performed.

Results: A total of 5183 neonates presented during the study period, with a median age of 14 days at admission. The top three diagnoses were neonatal jaundice (15%), abdominal discomfort (12%), and upper airway inflammation (11%). The majority of cases were classified as non-urgent (green) at triage (59%). Overall, 1296 patients (25%) required hospitalization; 95% of those assigned a yellow triage color at admission required hospitalization. Only 33% of hospitalized patients were referred by parents, while the majority were referred by primary care pediatricians. The highest number of admissions occurred in August, while the peak in hospitalizations was in February.

Conclusions: The majority of neonatal PED admissions are for non-acute conditions that do not require immediate medical attention. This concerning trend leads to increased workloads for PED staff, higher healthcare costs, and potential risks to neonates. Possible causes include insufficient caregiver knowledge, inadequate parental education, and suboptimal transition from hospital to primary care pediatric services.

Keywords: jaundice; newborns; pediatric emergency department; pediatric primary care.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interests.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Selection process of the patients included.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
The PRISMA diagram selection process of the studies included. PRISMA preferred reporting items for systematic review and meta‐analysis.
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
Trends of neonatal PEDs admission per month. [Colour figure can be viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com]
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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