Pediatric practice in a summer sleep-away camp

Abstract

Clinical practice was surveyed over a 4-week period at a sleep-away camp for children ages 9 to 16 years. The facility is located in the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania and has an enrollment of 694 campers and 266 adult staff members. There was a total of 895 visits to the infirmary; however, 190 children were evaluated on more than one occasion. Younger children and girls were more likely to seek medical help. The most common presenting complaints involved physical injuries related to sports activities, followed by a wide range of upper respiratory difficulties, such as sore throat, conjunctivitis, and stuffed nose. Tick bites were not observed in any campers. Significant psychosocial problems were not encountered among any children. Only one child had to be sent home from camp for specific treatment; this was a 14-year-old girl who suffered a lacerated nerve of the third finger on her right hand that required surgical correction. These data indicate that, aside from an increase in minor sports-related injuries, the health problems of children in camp are not significantly different in type or severity from those they experience at home. Furthermore, children attending camp can be relied upon to accurately report their complaints and receive appropriate medical attention.