“Irritable Hip”: Diagnosis in the Emergency Department. A Descriptive Study Over One Year

Background A ‘limping child’ commonly presents to the emergency department (ED), often without a history of trauma. It is important that serious underlying pathology is ruled out before a diagnosis of benign irritable hip (IH). The aetiology of IH is not well understood and there may be geographical and seasonal variation. The aim of this study was to determine the basic epidemiology of IH in the Glasgow Population. Methods A retrospective analysis was carried out of all children discharged from the Glasgow Children’s Emergency Department from January to December 2016. Relevant discharge codes were determined and patient records screened. Any patient who did not have a discharge code had their presenting complaint and medical record screened. Results A total of 354 patients were diagnosed with IH, of which 319 and 189 were in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde and City of Glasgow catchment areas, respectively. The majority of these patients (n = 254) were diagnosed clinically. The incidence of IH was 177.7 per 100,000 children with a boy:girl ratio of 1.9:1 (209:110). The mean age of presentation was 3.5 years and the recurrence rate was 5.9% (n = 18). There was an increased incidence in spring (n = 111), especially in March (n = 42) and April (n = 40). There was no incidence variation or influence discernible by social deprivation. Conclusion In this population, IH has: (i) an atypical age profile (age distribution shift to younger), (ii) no marked association with social deprivation (in contrast to other studies), and (iii) a 'spring preponderance'. We suggest that most cases can safely be managed in the ED without recourse to further investigations or speciality referral.