Background Vulnerable child syndrome (VCS) describes children perceived to be at risk for behavioral, developmental, or medical problems. Families with the dynamics of VCS overuse health care resources with frequent visits to doctors’ offices. Objective The objective of the study was to explore the relationship between VCS, parental perception of child vulnerability (PPCV), and frequency of emergency department (ED) visits. Design/Methods Parents of patients 1 to 15 years old presenting with nonurgent complaints to a pediatric ED were eligible. Participants completed questionnaires in which the Vulnerable Child Scale was used to generate a measure of PPCV. Primary outcomes included number of ED visits and PPCV assignment. Children were divided into 2 PPCV groups by Vulnerable Child Scale score: less than 40 (high PPCV) versus 40 or greater (low PPCV). The cutoff point was chosen as 1 SD (7.3) from the sample mean (46.8) on the vulnerable end of the scale (low scores). Results The mean ages of the 351 parents and children were 30 (SD, 7.7) years and 5 (SD, 3.9) years, respectively; 17% of children had high PPCV. Eleven variables differed statistically between subjects with high and low PPCV including number of ED visits and hospital admissions, excellent reported child health, pregnancy problems, delivery problems, child mental health problems, parent mental health problems, and child developmental problems. Conclusions Our results reveal that children with higher PPCV had an increased number of ED visits, and risk factors for higher perceived vulnerability scores were identified. Future investigation on ways to intervene with families with the dynamics of VCS may be warranted.

Asthma is one of the most common chronic pediatric diseases. Patients with asthma often present to the emergency department for treatment for acute exacerbations. These patients may not have a primary care physician or primary care home, and thus are seeking care in the emergency department. Asthma care in the emergency department is multifaceted to treat asthma patients appropriately and provide quality care. National and international guidelines exist to help drive clinical care. Electronic and paper-based tools exist for both physicians and patients to help improve emergency, home, and preventive care. Treatment of patients with asthma should include the acute exacerbation, long-term management of controller medications, and controlling triggers in the home environment. We will address the current state of asthma research in emergency medicine in the US, and discuss some of the resources being used to help provide a medical home and improve care for patients who suffer from acute asthma exacerbations.

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