Table 2 Care-seeking behaviours and outcomes by severity of illness on admission
From: Referral patterns, delays, and equity in access to advanced paediatric emergency care in Vietnam
|  | Total (N = 557) | ESI 1 (N = 59) | ESI 2 (N = 164) | ESI 3 (N = 334) | p-value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mean time from recognition of illness to seeking care outside the home (days) (SD) | 4.0 days (5.2) | 4.2 days (5.8) | 4.7 days (5.8) | 3.6 days (4.7) | p = .039 |
Days delayed care seeking |  |  |  |  | p = .014 |
 Less than 24 h | 86 (15.4%) | 11 (18.6%) | 16 (9.8%) | 59 (17.7%) |  |
 24–47 h | 146 (26.2%) | 15 (25.4%) | 46 (28.1%) | 85 (25.5%) |  |
 48–71 h | 65 (11.7%) | 1 (1.7%) | 15 (9.2%) | 49 (14.7%) |  |
 3–7 days | 181 (32.5%) | 23 (39.0%) | 55 (34.2%) | 102 (30.5%) |  |
 More than one week | 79 (14.2%) | 9 (15.3%) | 31 (18.9%) | 39 (11.7%) |  |
Admitted to an ICU | 48 (8.8%) | 16 (27.1%) | 23 (14.0%) | 10 (3.0%) | p = .000 |
Died in hospital | 15 (2.7%) | 5 (8.5%) | 5 (3.1%) | 5 (1.5%) | p = .009 |
Referred to VNCH from lower-level facility | 211 (38.0%) | 37 (62.7%) | 88 (53.7%) | 86 (25.8%) | p = .000 |
Referring facility level (N = 211) |  |  |  |  | p = .955 |
 Provincial | 146 (69.2%) | 27 (73.0%) | 62 (70.5%) | 57 (66.3%) |  |
 District | 29 (13.7%) | 6 (16.2%) | 11 (12.5%) | 12 (14.0%) |  |
 Commune | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | 0 (0.0%) | 0 (0%) |  |
 Private | 6 (2.8%) | 1 (2.7%) | 3 (3.4%) | 2 (2.3%) |  |
 Other | 13 (6.2%) | 1 (2.7%) | 6 (6.8%) | 6 (7.0%) |  |
 Don’t know | 17 (8.1%) | 2 (5.4%) | 6 (6.8%) | 9 (10.5%) |  |
Transferred in ambulance (N = 211) | 122 (57.8%) | 28 (75.7%) | 65 (73.9%) | 29 (33.7%) | p = .000 |
Staff accompanied in ambulance (N = 211) | 90 (49.6%) | 20 (54.5%) | 47 (53.4%) | 23 (26.7%) | p = .000 |
 Doctor accompanied | 16 (7.6%) | 3 (8.1%) | 8 (9.1%) | 5 (5.8%) |  |
 Nurse accompanied | 74 (35.1%) | 17 (46.0%) | 39 (44.3%) | 18 (20.9%) |  |
 None | 22 (10.4%) | 6 (16.2%) | 13 (14.8%) | 3 (3.5%) |  |
 Don’t know/missing | 6 (2.8%) | 11 (29.7%) | 28 (31.8%) | 60 (69.9%) |  |