Hospital-Based Emergency Department Visits due to Periapical Abscess in the United States: Nationwide Estimates for...

Periapical abscess (PA) is an odontogenic infection that primarily arises from pulpal disease and can lead to life-threatening conditions if left untreated. The objective of this study was to provide updated national estimates on the prevalence of PA in the United States hospital-based emergency departments (EDs) for the years 2021-2022, and to analyze predictors of related hospital charges.

The Nationwide Emergency Department Sample database was used for the years 2021-2022. All ED visits with a primary diagnosis of PA were selected for analysis of the frequency of visits, sociodemographic, and hospital-related data. A multivariable linear regression analysis model was used to identify predictor variables that influence ED and hospital charges.

During the years 2021 and 2022 in the United States, a total of 846,629 ED visits were attributed to a primary diagnosis of PA. The populations who frequented the ED for PA the most were more likely to be insured by Medicaid (44.2%) and reside in low-income areas (42.1%). The mean ED hospital charge was $2,585 per encounter. Age, sex, ethnicity, insurance status, household income levels, geographic location, hospital teaching status, and presence of comorbid conditions all had a significant impact on influencing hospital charges (P < .05).

The study found that the frequency of visits for PA in the ED remains high, and the hospital ED charges have increased significantly despite similar outcomes compared to data from the past decade. Demographic, socioeconomic, hospital-related, and comorbid medical conditions were associated with hospital charges.