Table 1

Characteristics of included studies regarding the first study aim: safety-netting strategies after emergency department (ED) discharge

Author
Year
Country
Study designArticle/abstractDisease/working diagnosisPrimary outcome: revisitsN total, male %N outcome, male %Age inclusion
Median (IQR)/mean age (SD)
Follow-up* (days)Type of revisitRisk of bias (high/low)
Baker 2009 USACPArticleFeverYes280
NR
105
NR
3–36 months
NR
319–656†suRLow
Bloch 2013 USARCTArticleAll‡No436
54%
216
58%
1 month to 18 years
NR
2–5NALow
Browne 2001 AustraliaBAArticleGE, asthma, croupYes5534
NR
240
NR
NRNRsuRHigh
Considine 2007 AustraliaBAArticleFeverNo40
NR
15
NR
<16 years
3.1 years ±2.5 before
1.8 years ±1.3 after
2NAHigh
Chande 1996 USARCTArticleAllYes130
59%
37
NR
All
39 months§ ±36
63 months¶ ±58
30, 90 and 180suRHigh
Fagbuyi 2011 USACPArticleInfluenza-likeNo38 646
53%
1091
NR
6 months to 21 years
82.3 months ±84.6
7uRHigh
Horne 1995 USACPArticleAllNo250
NR
171
NR
All
NR
3NALow
Ismail 2013 USARCTAbstractFeverNo63
16%
NRNR14NRHigh
Lawrence 2009 USACRArticleAllYes40 418
NR
979
NR
NR
2 years (0.5–7.0)
3suRHigh
Maguire** 2011 UKCPArticleFeverNo220
56%
29/56
NR
<5 years
27% ≤1 years
NSsuRHigh
Moineau** 2004 CanadaCRAbstractGEYes1862
NR
108
NR
NR
2.6 years ±2.8
7uRHigh
O'Neill-Murphy 2001 USABAArticleFeverNo87
NR
NR3 months to 5 years
NR
14, 56suRHigh
O'Neill 2001 USACRArticleAllNoNRNRNRNRNAHigh
Patel 2009 USAnRCTArticleGENo291
NS
NA3 months to 18 years
60% <1 years
1, 2NAHigh
Porter 2000 USACPArticleFeverNo92
NR
NA

≤36 months
27,4 years ±9,2
NANAHigh
Roland 2011 UKCPAbstractFeverNo457
NR
NRNRNRuRHigh
Scarfone 1996 USACPArticleAllNo179
55%
91
NR
NR
31 months††
1NALow
Yang 2012 TaiwanBAArticleAllYes1285
54%
9
56%
NR
34 months§ (0–207)
3suRHigh
  • *Time until revisit.

  • †See online supplementary information 2.

  • ‡Common illnesses, without children with traumatic presenting symptoms.

  • §In the intervention group.

  • ¶In the control group.

  • **Studies included for both study aims (Maguire et al 2011 and Moineau et al 2004).

  • ††Mean (CI).

  • All, all ED diagnoses; BA, before after trial; CP, cohort study, prospective; CR, cohort study, retrospective; GE, gastroenteritis; NA, not applicable; NR, not recorded; nRCT, non-randomised controlled trial; NS, not specified; RCT, randomised controlled trial; suR, scheduled and unscheduled revisit; uR, unscheduled revisit.