The management of paediatric patients in a general Emergency Department in Papua New Guinea.

Children less than 13 years of age account for 27% of the case mix at the Emergency Department (ED) of the Port Moresby General Hospital (PMGH). The ED is busy, usually overcrowded, understaffed and under-equipped, resulting in less than optimal patient management. Children are a highly vulnerable group of patients and have the potential to deteriorate rapidly.