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Cost of pediatric gastroenteritis hospitalizations in the United States

Kenneth A Michelson1,2, Sriram Ramgopal1,2

  • 1Division of Emergency Medicine, Ann & Robert Lurie Children's Hospital, Chicago, Illinois, USA.

Journal of Hospital Medicine
|June 22, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Pediatric gastroenteritis hospitalizations incur significant national costs, totaling hundreds of millions annually. Children under three years old account for over half of these costly hospitalizations.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Gastroenterology
  • Health Economics
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Gastroenteritis is a leading reason for pediatric hospital admissions.
  • Understanding the economic burden of pediatric gastroenteritis is crucial for public health resource allocation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the national costs associated with pediatric gastroenteritis hospitalizations.
  • To analyze trends in these costs over time and identify factors influencing them.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional study utilizing the Kids Inpatient Database (2016, 2019, 2022).
  • Inclusion of children under 18 hospitalized for gastroenteritis.
  • Inflation-adjusted cost calculations using cost-to-charge ratios and regression analysis for demographic associations.

Main Results:

  • Over 127,000 hospitalizations for gastroenteritis were recorded across the study years.
  • National costs ranged from $276 million to $305 million annually.
  • Hospitalizations in children under three years old comprised 54.4% of the total.
  • Median per-hospitalization cost was $4029.
  • Presence of complex chronic conditions significantly increased hospitalization costs.

Conclusions:

  • Pediatric gastroenteritis hospitalizations represent a substantial and ongoing financial burden on the healthcare system.
  • Young children and those with complex chronic conditions are particularly high-cost patient groups.

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