Increased Incidence of Pyogenic Liver Abscess in a Midwest System With Emphasis on Rural Impact

To assess if hepatic abscess incidence in a Midwest cohort was higher in rural areas compared to metropolitan areas in relation to water infrastructure.

All cases of hepatic abscesses from Jan 1, 2016 through Dec 31, 2019 at Avera McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls, South Dakota (SD), were retrospectively collected. Chart review was completed for each case for risk factor analysis. Microbiology cultures and patient demographic data were collected including age, gender, hometown, and ethnicity. Risk factors assessed included a history of abdominal surgery, gallbladder disease, sepsis, diverticulitis, cancer, and diabetes. The incidence of hepatic abscesses was calculated using the Poisson rate test and confidence interval equation. Averages of each risk factor were calculated. Finally, hometown was utilized to create a heatmap of disease burden and compared to the density of private wells.

Our data yielded 116 confirmed adult hepatic abscesses between 2016 and 2019. The corrected incidence per 100,000 hospitalized patients per year is 95.66. The Poisson exact probability P-value was <0.01. Rural areas had a higher per capita incidence of abscesses and higher density of private wells.

The incidence of hepatic abscesses is higher than national averages in this single-center study of Avera McKennan Hospital. Demographics, especially geographic location, play an important role in abscess rates. Rural location may be affecting the incidence of hepatic abscesses, explaining the much higher than expected incidence in this study. Infrastructure could be a contributing factor as much of the rural area is reliant on untreated groundwater.