Acute Pancreatitis Admission Trends: A National Estimate through the Kids' Inpatient Database

To evaluate national health care use and costs for pediatric acute pancreatitis.

The Kids' Inpatient Database for 2006, 2009, and 2012 was queried for patients with a principal diagnosis of acute pancreatitis. Cases were grouped by age: preschool (<5 years of age), school age (5-14 years of age), and adolescents (>14 years of age).

A total of 27 983 discharges for acute pancreatitis were found. The number of admissions increased with age: young n = 1279, middle n = 8012, and older n = 18 692. Duration of stay was highest in preschool children (median, 3.47 days; IQR, 2.01-7.35), compared with school age (median, 3.22 days; IQR, 1.81-5.63) and adolescents (median, 2.87 days; IQR, 1.61-4.81; P < .001). The median cost of hospitalization varied with age: $6726 for preschoolers, $5400 for school-aged children, and $5889 for adolescents (P < .001). Acute pancreatitis-associated diagnoses varied by age. The presence of gallstone pancreatitis, alcohol, and hypertriglyceridemia was more common among older children compared with younger children (P < .001). There was an increasing trend in acute pancreatitis, chronic pancreatitis, and obesity for the 2 older age groups (P < .001).

Admission of children for acute pancreatitis constitutes a significant healthcare burden, with a rising number of admissions with age. However, the cost and duration of stay per admission are highest in young children.