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Shortfalls in pediatric hydrocephalus clinical outcome analysis
Mohammad Sami Walid1, Joe Sam Robinson
1Georgia NeuroCenter, Medical Center of Central Georgia, 777 Hemlock Street, Macon, GA 31201, USA. mswalid@yahoo.com
Summary
Child hydrocephalus treatment costs have significantly increased, while patient discharges decreased. The literature shows a plateau in research, with few studies on cost analysis or high-level evidence.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Neurosurgery
- Health Economics
- Medical Informatics
Background:
- Childhood hydrocephalus presents significant treatment challenges.
- Understanding treatment outcomes and costs is crucial for healthcare management.
- Literature analysis can reveal trends in research and clinical practice.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze trends in child hydrocephalus treatment costs and literature.
- To assess the volume and focus of research on pediatric hydrocephalus.
- To evaluate cost awareness in the scientific literature concerning hydrocephalus.
Main Methods:
- Utilized Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) data to extract hospital charges for pediatric hydrocephalus treatment.
- Employed PubMed search engine to probe biomedical literature on child hydrocephalus.
- Analyzed trends in aggregate hospital charges, patient discharges, and publication volume over 13-15 years.
Main Results:
- Aggregate hospital charges for ventriculo-peritoneal shunting in children under 18 increased 1.7-fold to $235.6 million by 2009.
- Hospital discharges decreased by 25.5% over 13 years.
- Literature on child hydrocephalus increased 1.6-fold, but randomized controlled trials (0.94%) and cost analysis papers (0.77%) remain scarce.
Conclusions:
- Research on pediatric hydrocephalus has plateaued, with a concerning lack of high-grade clinical evidence (RCTs).
- There is a significant gap in the literature regarding cost analysis and economic considerations for hydrocephalus treatment.
- Increased focus on cost-effectiveness and robust clinical trials is needed for managing childhood hydrocephalus.
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