We analysed 604 visits made during the period under study corresponding to 116 children aged 7 days to 15.14 years (mean, de 5.5 years; median, 5.3 years).

As for the type and severity of disease, 101 patients (87.1%) had a diagnosis of haemophilia and 15 (12.9%) of haemophilia B. In the group of patients with haemophilia A, 38 had mild disease (32.8%), 4 moderate disease (3.4%) and 59 severe disease (50.9%). Of the patients with haemophilia B, 9 had mild disease (7.7%), 3 moderate disease (2.6%) and 3 severe disease (2.6%). There were 6 patients with inhibitors, 5 of who had severe haemophilia A and 1 mild haemophilia A.

The mean number of emergency visits per patient was 5.2. The patient that sought care most frequently made 26 visits; 34 patients made 1 visit, 16 made 2 visits, 11 made 3 visits, 8 made 4 visits, 8 made 5 visits and the rest visited the emergency department more than 5 times.

Children with haemophilia A made 91.1% of all visits, while patients with haemophilia B made 8.9%. When it came to the distribution by severity of disease, 56% of visits corresponded to severe forms of haemophilia, 4.6% to moderate forms and 39.4% to mild forms. Patients with inhibitors made 44 visits (7.28% of the total).

The main reasons for visiting the emergency department (documented during triage on arrival to the department) were the following: musculoskeletal problem/trauma or bleeding in 66.7% (n=403), suspected central venous catheter-related infection in 2.8% (n=17) and routine factor infusion in 1.5% (n=9). In addition, 29% of emergency visits (n=175) were due to common paediatric complaints unrelated to haemophilia (such as diarrhoea, difficulty breathing and pharyngitis). The 6 patients with inhibitors experienced 15 episodes of bleeding. Table 1 presents the reasons for emergency department visits distributed by age group.

Out of all visits, 335 required some type of diagnostic test. Blood tests were performed in 80 visits (13.2%), urinalysis in 16 (2.6%), stool tests in 9 (1.5%) and culture of throat swab or respiratory secretion samples in 19 (3.1%). Imaging tests were performed in 266 visits (44%): musculoskeletal ultrasound examination in 134 (22.2%), musculoskeletal radiographs in 81 (13.4%), head computed tomography (CT) scans in 36 (6%), chest radiographs in 17 (2.8%), abdominal ultrasound in 19 (3.1%), cranial radiograph in 14 (2.3%), abdominal CT scan in 1 (0.2%), neck radiograph in 1 and neck CT scan in 1 (0.2%).

A head CT scan was performed in 36 visits (corresponding to 31 cases of head trauma, 1 case of polytrauma, 1 patient with afebrile convulsive seizures and 3 patients with persistent vomiting). There was evidence of intracranial bleeding in 7 cases (1.16% of the total visits): subdural haematoma in 5 (in 4 patients following head trauma and in 1 patient with persistent vomiting) and epidural haematoma in 2 (in both cases following head trauma). Table 2 presents a brief summary of the cases of intracranial haemorrhage secondary to trauma. In all cases, patients received factor on arrival to the emergency department and before performance of imaging tests. Only 1 of these patients required surgical intervention.

Table 3 presents the most frequent diagnoses made after the evaluation at the emergency department. In 47.8% of visits, the diagnosis at the time of discharge or admission to hospital was unrelated to haemophilia.

Haemarthrosis was diagnosed in 33 episodes (5.5%) and muscle bleeding in 27 (4.5%) (in 1 case manifesting with compartment syndrome). In 27.3% cases of haemarthrosis and 22.2% of muscle bleeding, the patient required admission to hospital.

There were 14 episodes (2.3% of visits) if central venous catheter-related infection with microbiological confirmation; gram-positive bacteria were isolated in 1% of cases and the catheter had to be removed in 7 cases (50%).

Of all visits, 51.2% corresponded to patients undergoing factor replacement therapy at home for prophylaxis of bleeding episodes (n=309). As for treatment, 317 visits (52.5%) were made by patients that required administration of clotting factor, prescribed in consultation with the Department of Haematology. After the evaluation in the emergency department, 501 visits (82.9%) ended in discharge home, while 103 (17.1%) led to hospital admission. The main reasons for admission were head trauma (35.9%), central venous catheter-related infection (13.6%), hemarthrosis (8.7%), muscle bleeding (6.8%), haematuria (5.8%), soft tissue haematoma (2.9%), ear-nose-throat bleeding (2.9%), gastrointestinal bleeding (2.9%), fracture (2.9%), facial trauma (1.9%) and abdominal haematoma (1.9%). Another 12.6% of admissions were for reasons unrelated to haemophilia (pneumonia, bronchiolitis, appendicitis etc.). One patient was admitted after detection of intracranial bleeding in the absence of previous trauma (1%).

Patients with haemophilia visit the emergency department frequently for different reasons, including common paediatric complaints and specific problems secondary to their disease, so this setting constitutes an indispensable component in their management.

The register of haemophilic patients in our hospital (the reference centre for haemophilia) includes at least 600 children with this disease. Most of them are managed exclusively in our hospital, although a smaller percentage are followed up in other hospitals and come to our hospital for evaluations every 6 months or yearly. In urgent or emergent situations (especially in cases related to trauma or bleeding), patients can visit the Department of Haematology, and after hours they usually seek care in the emergency department. In addition, referral to the emergency department may be useful if diagnostic tests need to be performed.

Previous studies have analysed the frequency of emergency department visits made by children with haemophilia. In 1993, Morgan et al. published a study conducted in 36 children with haemophilia, who made a total of 126 visits to the emergency department of a single hospital over a period of 10 years.5 Later, in 2002, Nuss et al. described 35 emergency visits made by haemophilic patients (paediatric and adult) made in a 1-year period to 25 hospitals.6 The most recent study on the subject was published in 2013 by Özgönenel et al., who described 536 emergency visits by 84 patients with haemophilia aged 0–21 years made over a period of 5 years to a single hospital.7 In every instance, the most frequent reasons for the visit were trauma or bleeding, and the authors concluded by highlighting the importance of the emergency department in the management of haemophilic patients and the need for emergency clinicians to be acquainted with the most common problems in these patients.

Between the time of the earliest studies to present, prophylaxis with clotting factor for prevention of potential bleeding episodes has been well established, constituting a significant improvement in the care of these patients. In our sample, 51.2% of episodes (n=309) corresponded to patients receiving home prophylaxis (299 with severe disease, 7 with moderate disease and 7 with mild disease). Patients and caregivers are educated on the disease and the main aspects of prophylaxis and treatment, which is associated with a decrease in morbidity and mortality, although visits to the emergency department continue to be frequent.

Our emergency department is part of a tertiary care hospital that also has a comprehensive haemophilia treatment centre, so the number of visits identified in our study is greater compared to other emergency departments in centres without these specialised services. We have described 604 emergency visits in a period of 6 years, which corresponds to 100.7 visit per year (1 emergency department visit every 3–4 days).

The most frequent reason for the visits (documented during triage) were musculoskeletal problems/trauma or bleeding, in 66.7% of the total (n=403), followed by common complaints unrelated to haemophilia, such as diarrhoea, difficulty breathing, pharyngitis etc. (29%). Trauma or bleeding were also the most frequent reasons for emergency department visits reported in the studies discussed above.5–7

Joint and muscle bleeds are among the most characteristic manifestations of haemophilia. The knees and ankles are the most frequently involved joints, and there is not always a previous traumatic event. The diagnosis of haemarthrosis is based on the data obtained in the history taking and physical examination, and frequently confirmed by ultrasound imaging. Muscle bleeds can be extensive in haemophilic patents and in some cases may even cause compartment syndrome.3 The approach to the management of both consists in early clotting factor replacement therapy. In our sample, 33 episodes (5.5%) were diagnosed as haemarthrosis and 27 (4.5%) as muscle bleed (1 of them with compartment syndrome). Hospital admission was required in 27.3% of cases of haemarthrosis and 22.2% of cases of muscle haemorrhage.

Intracranial haemorrhage (the most dangerous form of bleeding in haemophilia) was documented in 7 patients (1.16% of all visits to the emergency department and 19.5% of the total CT scans performed). In patients with haemophilia, this type of bleeding can occur spontaneously (infrequently, save in cases with a recent history of haemorrhage or with anatomical lesions predisposing the patient to haemorrhage) or, more commonly, following trauma to the head.9–11 In our sample, there was only 1 episode of intracranial haemorrhage without previous trauma, which occurred in a patient aged 1 year with persistent vomiting. If intracranial haemorrhage is suspected, the imaging test of choice in the emergency setting is the head CT scan, although it is important to remember that administration of factor should not be delayed.12,13 The recommendation to routinely perform a head CT scan in haemophilic patients that experience head trauma has been the subject of heated debate. In our sample, all patients with intracranial bleeding had symptoms of some form, so we recently published an article proposing to limit the indication of CT to patients who are symptomatic or have some other risk factor. These patients need to remain under observation for longer periods compared to other patients (up to 24h).14

Since home factor replacement prophylaxis is one of the most important advances in the care of haemophilic patients in recent years, many of them have central catheters placed for its administration. These devices are usually inserted starting from age 1 year and the use of this type of catheter is frequent, especially in patients with severe forms of haemophilia. The percentage of haemophilic patients with central catheters that develop related infections has been reported to be as high as 44%.7 Therefore, when a patient with haemophilia with a central catheter presents with fever of unknown source, a catheter-related infection should be suspected and empirical antibiotherapy initiated after obtaining samples for culture. The most frequent pathogens involved in these infections are gram-positive bacteria (such as Staphylococcus aureus or Streptococcus epidermidis), followed by gram-negative bacteria (Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli) and Candida species.15–17

In our sample, 14 visits (2.3%) corresponded to central venous catheter-related infections confirmed by microbiological testing, with isolation of gram-positive bacteria in 1%; 7 of these patients (50%) required removal of the catheter.

The most serious complication in patients with severe forms of disease is the development of inhibitors (autoantibodies produced in response to the administered factor that neutralise its activity).18 This occurs in 30% of patients with severe haemophilia A and 3% to 9% of patients with severe haemophilia B. In our sample, we found 6 patients with inhibitors (5 with severe haemophilia A and 1 with mild haemophilia A). Of the 44 visits made by these patients (7.28% of the total), 15 were due to bleeding. Patients with severe disease were receiving prophylactic factor replacement therapy at home, and in the emergency department, bleeding episodes in these patients were treated with bypassing agents.

Several recommendations have been published for the management of haemophilia in the emergency care setting19,20 that clinicians should be aware of, including consultation with the department of haematology. In our emergency department, there are specific protocols for the management of the most frequent presenting problems of haemophilic patients at the emergency care level (head, abdominal and extremity trauma).21–24

If bleeding is suspected, the missing clotting factor must be administered without delay. The dosage and duration of treatment depends on the type of haemophilia and of bleeding.25,26 The family and caregivers must be educated on this aspect. In general, parents are advised to keep clotting factor at home in case of a potential emergency, and, should trauma or bleeding occur, to administer it as soon as possible (even before going to the emergency department if they are trained in its administration). The staff of the emergency department will try to administer the same factor that the patient uses habitually.

The main limitations of this study were its retrospective design and it being performed in a single centre. Multicentric studies could contribute more information.