{
  "abstract": "Introduction Preschool wheeze is a common cause of emergency department (ED) attendance consuming substantial healthcare resources. Unfortunately, there is little evidence that self-management strategies are effective in preventing ED visits (BTS/SIGN Guidelines 2019).Method We collected and analysed demographic and treatment data for children aged 1–5 years attending our ED with acute wheeze between December 2022 - November 2023 and all reattendances for the year following their first attendance. Data included an index of multiple deprivation based on post code (IMD score) and the treatment given for all attendances.Results 664 children (64% male) attended over the one year period. 226 of these children (33%) reattended with wheeze at least once within the subsequent year accounting for 472 additional ED attendances [twice: 120 children (18%), x3: 50(7%), x4: 18(3%), x5: 18(3%), x6: 10(1%), >6: 10(1%)]. Children who were reattenders were decreasingly likely to be treated with repeated doses of inhaled salbutamol (burst treatment either by nebuliser or metered dose inhaler) or oral steroids when compared with children who did not reattend (see table 1).IMD score was not associated with frequency of readmission. Similarly, IMD score was not predictive of disease severity as indicated by treatment need or the need for hospital admission after ED attendance for more than 4 hours [Score 1–3 (most deprived) 57% admitted, score 4–6 - 63%, score 7–10 - 54%].Abstract P142 Table 1Discussion Pre-school children presenting with acute wheeze in our locality have a 1 in 3 chance of reattending with the same diagnostic code within the next 12 months. Our data highlights how reattendances might not be driven by disease severity. Supportive care measures that address parental anxiety about the severity of symptoms might help families to safely manage recurrent wheezy episodes without the need for hospital attendance.",
  "authors": [
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK"
      ],
      "name": "L Whittaker"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK"
      ],
      "name": "R Chandra"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK"
      ],
      "name": "A Selby"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK"
      ],
      "name": "GJ Connett"
    }
  ],
  "title": "P142 Hospital attendance for recurrent preschool wheeze is not determined by disease severity",
  "uid": "d6d8221c-b1bb-526f-a14f-f560a3613dce"
}