Tobacco Smoke Exposure-Related Illnesses Among Pediatric Emergency Department Patients.
Ashley L Merianos, Cinnamon A Dixon, E Melinda Mahabee-Gittens
PMID 27542562WHAT IT FOUND
Nearly a quarter of pediatric emergency patients had diagnoses linked to tobacco smoke exposure.
Younger children, those of lower socioeconomic status, and patients with low-acuity complaints were at highest risk. Emergency settings are a key opportunity for caregiver cessation support.
Key findings
0121.7% of all pediatric emergency patients had a potential tobacco smoke exposure-related illness.
02The most common diagnoses were otitis media, acute upper respiratory infections, asthma exacerbation, cough, and acute bronchiolitis.
03Patients aged 0-5 years, African American, Hispanic, or with Medicaid/Medicare insurance were significantly more likely to have these illnesses.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Only about half of the patients had any documentation of tobacco smoke exposure status, meaning many exposures were likely missed. The study was conducted at a single urban Level 1 trauma center with a predominantly low socioeconomic population, so results may not apply to other settings. Caregivers may have underreported their children's exposure to smoke. Because this was a retrospective record review, it shows association but cannot prove that smoke exposure caused the illnesses.
Declared interests
The authors reported no financial interests or potential conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that the high number of diagnoses proves smoking caused them. The study is observational and relied on caregiver self-report, which may be inaccurate. It identifies who is at risk, but does not confirm that cessation will resolve these specific illnesses.