National Trends in Hospitalizations for Appendectomy in Children, 2001-2017

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Surgery
• Health Services Research
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Appendectomy for acute appendicitis is the most common acute surgical procedure in children.
• Recent shifts in appendicitis management protocols may impact hospitalization patterns and costs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze temporal trends in pediatric appendectomy hospitalizations from 2001 to 2017.
• To assess changes in hospitalization costs and length of stay associated with appendectomy incidence.
• To examine patient, hospital, and geographic variations in appendectomy outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study utilizing data from the National Inpatient Sample (2001-2017).
• Analysis of temporal changes in appendectomy hospitalization incidence, cost, and length of stay.
• Inclusion of patient and hospital characteristics, as well as geographic data, to identify outcome disparities.

Main Results:

• Appendectomy hospitalization incidence decreased from 11.2 to 6.4 per 10,000 person-years (2001-2017).
• Median procedure cost increased by 61% during the study period.
• Temporal trends in appendectomy hospitalizations varied by patient, hospital, and geographic factors.

Conclusions:

• A substantial decrease in pediatric appendectomies was observed, contrasted by a significant rise in procedure costs.
• Understanding the drivers of these trends is crucial for developing evidence-based guidelines.
• Optimizing clinical decisions and resource utilization in pediatric appendicitis management is essential.