Adverse events in the paediatric emergency department: a prospective cohort study.

Background: Understanding adverse events among children treated in the emergency department (ED) offers an opportunity to improve patient safety by providing evidence of where to focus efforts in a resource-restricted environment.

Objective: To estimate the risk of adverse events, their type, preventability and severity, for children seen in a paediatric ED.

Methods: This prospective cohort study examined outcomes of patients presenting to a paediatric ED over a 1-year period.