Researchers intended to identify sociodemographic risk variables and resource consumption in this extensive sample of kids who experienced problems following routine pediatric surgical procedures. To identify and describe pediatric patients (aged 0–21 years) in the United States who underwent common inpatients pediatric gastrointestinal surgical procedures, such as appendectomy, cholecystectomy, colonic resection, pyloromyotomy, and small bowel resection, investigators conducted a population-based cohort study using the 2016 Healthcare Cost and Use Project Kids’ Inpatient Database (KID). Sociodemographic correlates of postoperative complications were found using multivariable logistic regression modeling. Patients with and without postoperative problems were compared in terms of length of stay and healthcare expenses. Pediatric surgical hospitalizations totaling 66,157 were found. A total of 2,009 of these individuals suffered from problems following surgery. Postoperative problems were much more likely to occur in patients who were male, young, of African American and Native American descent, and who received care in a rural hospital. In the complication cohort, compared to patients without difficulties, the mean duration of stay was 4.58 days longer, and the mean total expenses were $11,151 (US) higher. Pediatric gastrointestinal inpatient surgery postoperative problems were associated with higher healthcare costs. Before pediatric surgical operations, the identified sociodemographic risk variables should be considered. To eliminate avoidable complications and surgical inequities, targeted interventions were needed.

Source: bmcpediatr.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12887-022-03418-8

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