Introduction: The objectives of this study were to (a) evaluate the emergency department management of pediatric patients with bleeding disorders, specifically regarding time intervals from triage to administration of replacement therapy, and (b) to review resultant patient outcomes.
Methods: A retrospective review was performed of charts from June 1996 to June 1998 for all patients with known bleeding disorders whose course was followed by the hematology clinic. Records were reviewed for all emergency department visits that required replacement therapy. Time intervals from triage to initiation of therapy were evaluated.
Results: Eleven of 24 patients required administration of factor or desmopressin acetate. The mean time from triage to therapy administration was 103 minutes (range, 7 to 175 minutes; SD +/- 38). The mean time from triage to placement in a room was 34.3 minutes (SD +/- 32.6). The mean time to order replacement therapy was 26.7 minutes (SD +/- 27.4). The mean time from physician evaluation to administration of replacement therapy was 34.2 minutes (SD +/- 15.9). These intervals were believed to be suboptimal, and a new nursing driven protocol was established to expedite patient care.
Discussion: Simple delays in time to replacement therapy may result in increased patient morbidity. We present an easy-to-follow algorithm that can be implemented to expedite the care of pediatric patients with a known bleeding disorder.