Summary

In Week 3 of 2019 (January 14–20), emergency department visits increased among children (+18%, or +15,503 visits) and remained stable among adults. Hospitalizations following visits increased among children aged 2–14 (+18%, or +843 hospitalizations) and remained stable in other age groups.

Over the past week, we note among children an increase in visits for seasonal respiratory conditions, at levels comparable to those of previous years: - for asthma (+61%, or +750 visits) and ENT conditions (+39%, or +1,899 visits) among children under 15, and for bronchitis (+38%, or +151 visits), pneumonia (+33%, or +110 visits) among 2- to 14-year-olds, - for influenza/flu-like illness (+127%, or +1,545 visits, and +32%, or +556 visits) and isolated fever (+31%, or +942 visits, and +6%, or +74 visits) among children and adults, respectively.

In line with the overall increase in activity among children, the most common conditions include an increase in visits for gastroenteritis (+12%) as well as for abdominal pain and vomiting among 2- to 14-year-olds (+12% and +8%, respectively). Traumatic injuries are also on the rise in this age group (+17%).