Criteria for trial entry
| General criteria |
| Inclusions |
| Patients who are likely to need at least 24 hours nursing observation after assessment on the paediatric assessment ward or on the post-take ward round |
| Exclusions |
| Children considered unsuitable by the GP, assessing doctor or nurse |
| Patients unwilling or unable to participate |
| Patients who do not have telephone access (unless the scheme mobile phone is available) |
| Children registered with a GP outside the health authority |
| Specific criteria (other than those noted, no period of observation required if clinically adjudged not to require admission) |
| Pyrexia |
| Age 6 months or over. Not after a febrile convulsion |
| Diarrhoea with/without vomiting |
| Age 6 weeks or over |
| Not having excessive (>4 in 4 hours) or bloody diarrhoea |
| Not dehydrated or with adequate urine output |
| If vomiting or refusing feed must take one clear feed (at least 10 ml/kg) without vomiting for 1 hour post-feed |
| Must be alert |
| Breathing difficulties |
| Age 6 weeks or over |
| If age less than 6 months, must have had symptoms for at least 3 days |
| Saturations in air ≥92% and not tired or pale |
| Asthma |
| Able to talk in sentences |
| No accessory muscle use |
| Over 5 years: peak flow >50% best or predicted; pulse <120, respirations <40 |
| Under 5 years: pulse <140, respirations <50 |
| Under 6 months: pulse <140, respirations <60 |
| These values must be pretreatment or 2 hours after last treatment. Stridor if present must be intermittent only |