Hospitalization Trends and Healthcare Resource Utilization for Fecal Impactions in Pediatric Patients with Functional...

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Gastroenterology
• Healthcare Management
• Public Health

Background:

• Fecal impaction is a common pediatric condition requiring hospitalization.
• Understanding hospitalization trends and resource utilization is vital for effective management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze clinical characteristics of pediatric fecal impaction hospitalizations.
• To examine trends in pediatric fecal impaction hospitalizations and associated healthcare resource utilization.
• To identify factors influencing the need for aggressive disimpaction procedures.

Main Methods:

• Utilized Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) databases (NIS, KID) from 2011-2019.
• Included pediatric patients (0-18 years) with fecal impaction as a primary or secondary diagnosis.
• Analyzed comorbidities, length of stay, hospital charges, and disimpaction procedures.

Main Results:

• Analyzed 23,570 pediatric fecal impaction admissions (0.18% of total pediatric admissions).
• Hospitalization rates nearly doubled (0.15% to 0.29%), with charges increasing 5.9% annually (inflation-adjusted).
• Older children were more likely to need aggressive disimpaction; females, Hispanic ethnicity, and obesity were less associated.

Conclusions:

• Pediatric fecal impaction hospitalizations have significantly increased, burdening healthcare resources.
• Aggressive outpatient management and close follow-up are essential to minimize hospitalizations.
• Further research into preventative strategies and resource allocation is warranted.