Effects of Race, Insurance Status, and Hospital Volume on Perforated Appendicitis in Children

This study was conducted to assess whether race and socioeconomic status influence the management method used to treat pediatric perforated appendicitis. Nonelective pediatric admissions with a primary diagnosis of appendicitis were analyzed using data from the 2001–2010 Nationwide Inpatient Sample. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were used to determine the association between race, insurance status, median household income, rural/metropolitan location, and the risk adjusted odds of undergoing surgery, laparoscopic appendectomy, percutaneous drainage, or neither surgery nor percutaneous drainage. A total of 46,211 admissions of perforated appendicitis were identified. Surgery was performed in 90.5 per cent of them. Black children were less likely to have surgery [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 0.53] and more likely to be managed non-surgically with percutaneous drainage (AOR = 1.79). Self-pay patients were less likely to have laparoscopic surgery (AOR = 0.80). Children from rural counties were more likely to undergo surgery than those from larger metropolitan areas (AOR = 1.30). Higher estimated household income did not predict the method of treatment. Although previous studies have attributed racial disparities in outcomes for appendicitis to different rates of perforation and access to care, these findings demonstrate significantly dissimilar management strategies for patients presenting with a similar disease process.

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Mortality of Dandy-Walker syndrome in the United States: Analysis by race, gender, and insurance status

Journal of Neurosciences in Rural Practice ◽

10.4103/0976-3147.153224 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 6 (02) ◽

pp. 182-185 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Shearwood McClelland ◽

Onyinyechi I. Ukwuoma ◽

Scott Lunos ◽

Kolawole S. Okuyemi

Keyword(s):

African American ◽

Hospital Volume ◽

Private Insurance ◽

The United States ◽

Insurance Status ◽

Discharge Disposition ◽

Csf Drainage ◽

Operative Care ◽

Admission Type ◽

African American Race

ABSTRACT Background: Dandy-Walker syndrome (DWS) is a congenital disorder often diagnosed in early childhood. Typically manifesting with signs/symptoms of increased intracranial pressure, DWS is catastrophic unless timely neurosurgical care can be administered via cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) drainage. The rates of mortality, adverse discharge disposition (ADD), and CSF drainage in DWS may not be uniform regardless of race, gender or insurance status; such differences could reflect disparities in access to neurosurgical care. This study examines these issues on a nationwide level. Materials and Methods: The Kids’ Inpatient Database spanning 1997-2003 was used for analysis. Only patients admitted for DWS (ICD-9-CM = 742.3) were included. Multivariate analysis was adjusted for several variables, including patient age, race, sex, admission type, primary payer, income, and hospital volume. Results: More than 14,000 DWS patients were included. Increasing age predicted reduced mortality (OR = 0.87; P < 0.05), ADD (OR = 0.96; P < 0.05), and decreased likelihood of receiving CSF drainage (OR = 0.86; P < 0.0001). Elective admission type predicted reduced mortality (OR = 0.29; P = 0.0008), ADD (OR = 0.68; P < 0.05), and increased CSF drainage (OR = 2.02; P < 0.0001). African-American race (OR = 1.20; P < 0.05) and private insurance (OR = 1.18; P < 0.05) each predicted increased likelihood of receiving CSF drainage, but were not predictors of mortality or ADD. Gender, income, and hospital volume were not significant predictors of DWS outcome. Conclusion: Increasing age and elective admissions each decrease mortality and ADD associated with DWS. African-American race and private insurance status increase access to CSF drainage. These findings contradict previous literature citing African-American race as a risk factor for mortality in DWS, and emphasize the role of private insurance in obtaining access to potentially lifesaving operative care.

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