Minority Pediatric Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease Demonstrate an Increased Length of Stay

Relationships of race and area deprivation indices to outcomes in pediatric patients with inflammatory bowel disease

OBJECTIVES

Social determinants of health (SDOH) are nonmedical factors that influence health outcomes. Children with chronic illnesses living with socioeconomic risk factors have higher rates of unfavorable health outcomes. Our study aimed to assess the association between area deprivation indices (ADI), as a proxy for SDOH, and outcomes in pediatric patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

METHODS

A retrospective chart review was conducted on 134 pediatric patients with IBD, ages 0-21 years. Explanatory variables were the patient's ADI and demographics. Outcomes were assessed from time of diagnosis over a 1-year follow-up period. The primary outcome was the ratio of missed to completed appointments; secondary outcomes were the numbers of IBD-related emergency department (ED) visits and IBD-related hospitalizations.

RESULTS

Race/ethnicity was significantly associated with ADI (p < 0.001). In a multivariable regression model, no variables were associated with ratio of missed to completed appointments. Notably, ADI was not significantly associated with the ratio of missed to completed appointments. In a Poisson regression, Black (non-Hispanic) and Hispanic race/ethnicity, Medicaid insurance, female gender, and lower age were significantly associated with more IBD-related ED visits; ADI was not. In a similar model, Black (non-Hispanic) race, Medicaid insurance status, and lower age were significantly associated with more IBD-related hospitalizations; ADI was not.

CONCLUSIONS

In our cohort, ADI was not significantly associated with the ratio of missed to completed appointments, IBD-related ED visits, and IBD-related hospitalizations; however, race/ethnicity, age at diagnosis, insurance, and gender were associated with these outcomes.

Significant Racial and Ethnic Disparities Exist in Health Care Utilization in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

The incidence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is rising worldwide, though the differences in health care utilization among different races and ethnicities remains uncertain. We aimed to better define this through a systematic review and meta-analysis.

METHODS

We explored the impact of race or ethnicity on the likelihood of needing an IBD-related surgery, hospitalization, and emergency department visit. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated with I2 values reporting heterogeneity. Differences in IBD phenotype and treatment between racial and ethnic groups of IBD were reported.

RESULTS

Fifty-eight studies were included. Compared with White patients, Black patients were less likely to undergo a Crohn's disease (CD; OR, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.50-0.95; I2 = 68.0%) or ulcerative colitis (OR, 0.58; 95% CI, 0.40-0.83; I2 = 85.0%) surgery, more likely to have an IBD-hospitalization (OR, 1.54; 95% CI, 1.06-2.24; I2 = 77.0%), and more likely to visit the emergency department (OR, 1.74; 95% CI, 1.32-2.30; I2 = 0%). There were no significant differences in disease behavior or biologic exposure between Black and White patients. Hispanic patients were less likely to undergo a CD surgery (OR, 0.57; 95% CI, 0.48-0.68; I2 = 0%) but more likely to be hospitalized (OR, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.01-1.88; I2 = 37.0%) compared with White patients. There were no differences in health care utilization between White and Asian or South Asian patients with IBD.

CONCLUSIONS

There remain significant differences in health care utilization among races and ethnicities in IBD. Future research is required to determine factors behind these differences to achieve equitable care for persons living with IBD.

Diagnosis change in pediatric inflammatory bowel disease

OBJECTIVES

This study aims to characterize pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients who change diagnosis and describe the characteristics of that change.

METHODS

A retrospective study was conducted on pediatric IBD patients from the ImproveCareNow (ICN) multicenter international cohort from 2007 to January 2019. Primary outcome was change in diagnosis after the first four visits. Other variables included demographics, diagnostics, disease characteristics, and timing.

RESULTS

6.1% of 18,055 patients aged 1-20 years changed diagnosis. Median time between the baseline visit and first diagnosis change was 0.9 years. Change in diagnosis occurred in 257/12,178 (2.1%) patients with Crohn's disease (CD), 347/4758 (7.3%) patients with ulcerative colitis (UC), and 495/1119 (44.2%) patients with IBD-Unclassified (IBD-U). In multivariable analysis, initial diagnosis of IBD-U and longer follow-up times were associated with greater odds of a diagnosis change.

CONCLUSION

IBD-U initial diagnosis and longer follow-up were associated with increased diagnosis change risk. The most common change was reclassification to CD. Disease activity, moderate malnutrition, and presence of EIMs were not associated with change in diagnosis.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease Among Canadian Children: Comparison Between Children of Non-European Descent and Children of European Descent

BACKGROUND

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) phenotypes may differ between countries and ancestral groups. The study aim was to examine ancestry and subtype variations of children newly diagnosed with IBD.

METHODS

Children newly diagnosed with IBD enrolled into the Canadian Children Inflammatory Bowel Disease Network inception cohort study were categorized into 8 ancestral groups. Prospectively collected data at diagnosis and follow-up were compared between ancestral groups.

RESULTS

Among 1447 children (63.2% Crohn's disease, 30.7% ulcerative colitis), 67.8% were European, 9.4% were South Asian, 3.8% were West Central Asian and Middle Eastern, 2.3% were African, 2.2% were East/South East Asian, 2.0% were Caribbean/Latin/Central/South American, 9.9% were mixed, and 2.6% were other. Children of African descent with ulcerative colitis had an older age of diagnosis compared with children of European descent (median 15.6 years vs 13.3 years; P = .02). Children of European descent had a higher proportion of positive family history with IBD (19.3% vs 12.1%; P = .001) compared with children of non-European descent. Children of European descent also had a lower proportion of immigrants and children of immigrants compared with children of non-European descent (9.8% vs 35.9%; P < .0001; and 3.6% vs 27.2%; P < .0001, respectively) .

CONCLUSIONS

Important differences exist between different ancestral groups in pediatric patients with IBD with regard to age of diagnosis, family history, and immigrant status. Our study adds to the knowledge of the impact of ancestry on IBD pathogenesis.

Racial Disparities in Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease Care: Differences in Outcomes and Health Service Utilization Between Black and White Children

OBJECTIVE

To describe racial inequities in pediatric inflammatory bowel disease care and explore potential drivers.

METHODS

We undertook a single-center, comparative cohort study of newly diagnosed Black and non-Hispanic White patients with inflammatory bowel disease, aged <21 years, from January 2013 through 2020. Primary outcome was corticosteroid-free remission (CSFR) at 1 year. Other longitudinal outcomes included sustained CSFR, time to anti-tumor necrosis factor therapy, and evaluation of health service utilization.

RESULTS

Among 519 children (89% White, 11% Black), 73% presented with Crohn's disease and 27% with ulcerative colitis. Disease phenotype did not differ by race. More patients from Black families had public insurance (58% vs 30%, P < .001). Black patients were less likely to achieve CSFR 1-year post diagnosis (OR: 0.52, 95% CI:0.3-0.9) and less likely to achieve sustained CSFR (OR: 0.48, 95% CI: 0.25-0.92). When adjusted by insurance type, differences by race to 1-year CSFR were no longer significant (aOR: 0.58; 95% CI: 0.33, 1.04; P = .07). Black patients were more likely to transition from remission to a worsened state, and less likely to transition to remission. We found no differences in biologic therapy utilization or surgical outcomes by race. Black patients had fewer gastroenterology clinic visits and 2-fold increased odds for emergency department visits.

CONCLUSIONS

We observed no differences by race in phenotypic presentation and medication usage. Black patients had half the odds of achieving clinical remission, but a degree of this was mediated by insurance status. Understanding the cause of such differences will require further exploration of social determinants of health.

Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Length of Stay for Common Pediatric Diagnoses: Trends From 2016 to 2019

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Inequities in pediatric illness include unequal treatment and outcomes for children of historically marginalized races/ethnicities. Length of stay (LOS) is used to assess health care quality and is associated with higher costs/complications. Studies show LOS disparities for Black and Hispanic children in specific diagnoses, but it is unclear how broadly they exist or how they change over time. We examined the association between race/ethnicity and LOS longitudinally for the most common pediatric inpatient diagnoses.

METHODS

We used the 2016 and 2019 Kids' Inpatient Databases. The 10 most frequent diagnoses in 2016 were determined. For each diagnosis in each year, we assessed the association between race and LOS by fitting a generalized linear mixed effects model with a negative binomial distribution, accounting for clustering and confounding. Using descriptive statistics, we compared associations between the 2 years for trends over time.

RESULTS

Our analysis included >450 000 admissions and revealed significantly longer LOS for Black, Hispanic, and/or Asian American or Pacific Islander, Native American, and other children in 8 of the 10 diagnoses in 2016, with mixed changes over time. Three new disparities emerged in 2019. The largest disparities were for Black children in most diagnoses.

CONCLUSIONS

Kids' Inpatient Database data showed longer LOS for children of historically marginalized race/ethnicity with common pediatric inpatient diagnoses, which largely persisted from 2016 to 2019. There is no plausible biological explanation for these findings, and inequities in social needs, access to care, and quality of care likely contribute. Future directions include further study to understand and address contributing factors.

The Impact of the Social Determinants of Health on Disparities in Inflammatory Bowel Disease

The incidence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is rising in racial and ethnic minority groups in the United States, and socioeconomic, racial, and ethnic disparities in IBD are increasingly being identified. In addition, there has been great appreciation for the social determinants of health as contributors to these disparities, and that upstream social determinants of health propagate downstream poor health outcomes in IBD. We propose strategies to achieve health equity in IBD that target the medical trainee, provider, practice, community, industry, and policy levels.

Inflammatory bowel disease in underserved populations: lessons for practice

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The incidence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is increasing in minority groups across the USA. There are racial and ethnic disparities in IBD care and outcomes that are rooted in historical injustice and inequities in the social determinants of health.

RECENT FINDINGS

Current literature has identified racial, ethnic and sociodemographic disparities in therapeutics and outcomes for IBD, including disease severity, morbidity and mortality.

SUMMARY

Strategies to achieve equity in IBD include tackling structural racism as a driver of health disparities and making actionable changes against multilevel barriers to care.

Racial and Ethnic Distribution of Inflammatory Bowel Disease in the United States

BACKGROUND

The current burden of Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) in minority populations is largely unknown. We sought to evaluate the relative prevalence of CD and UC across racial and ethnic groups within the National Patient-Centered Clinical Research Network (PCORnet).

METHODS

We queried electronic health records from 337 centers from January 2013 to December 2018. We compared the relative prevalence of CD and UC across racial/ethnic groups to the general PCORnet populations using χ 2 and univariable logistic regression.

RESULTS

Among 39,864,077 patients, 114,168 had CD, and 98,225 had UC. Relative to the overall PCORnet population, Black adult patients were significantly less likely than White patients to have a diagnosis of CD (odds ratio [OR], 0.53; 95% CI, 0.52-0.54) or UC (OR, 0.41; 95% CI, 0.40-0.43). Pediatric Black patients were also less likely to have a diagnosis of CD (OR, 0.41; 95% CI, 0.39-0.43) or UC (OR, 0.38; 95% CI, 0.35-0.41). Adult Hispanic patients were less likely to have a diagnosis of CD (OR, 0.33; 95% CI, 0.32-0.34) or UC (OR, 0.45; 95% CI, 0.44-0.46) compared with non-Hispanic patients. Similarly, pediatric Hispanic patients were less likely to have a diagnosis of CD (OR, 0.34; 95% CI, 0.32-0.36) or UC (OR, 0.50; 95% CI, 0.47-0.53).

CONCLUSIONS

Despite the increasing racial and ethnic diversity in the United States, these data suggest that CD and UC are modestly less prevalent among patients of non-White races and Hispanic ethnicity.

Antiracism, Black Lives Matter, and Critical Race Theory: The ABCs of Promoting Racial Equity in Pediatric Practice

Police shootings of unarmed Black men, women, and children at the intersection of disparities in the setting of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic have resulted in a long overdue national awakening regarding race and racism in society. This article defines some of the key terms, providing a foundation to help promote equity in pediatric practice. Although no single article can result in full competency regarding such complex issues, it is meant to provide a foundation for pediatricians on a journey to deepen their knowledge and understanding toward a path to action. [Pediatr Ann. 2022;51(3):e95-e106.].

Health Equity and Social Determinants of Health in Pediatric Gastroenterology

Social determinants of health (SDH) as outlined by Healthy People 2020 encompasses 5 key domains: economic, education, social and community context, health and health care, and neighborhood and built environment. This article emphasizes pediatric populations and some of the existing SDH and health care disparities seen in pediatric gastroenterology. We specifically review inflammatory bowel disease, endoscopy, bariatric surgery, and liver transplantation. We also examine the burgeoning role of telehealth that has become commonplace since the coronavirus disease 2019 era.

Effects of Race and Ethnicity on Diagnosis and Management of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases

Although Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) have been considered as disorders that affect individuals of European ancestry, the epidemiology of the inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) is changing. Coupled with the increasing incidence of IBD in previously low-incidence areas, the population demographics of IBD in the United States are also changing, with increases among non-White races and ethnicities. It is therefore important to fully understand the epidemiology and progression of IBD in different racial and ethnic groups, and the effects of race and ethnicity on access to care, use of resources, and disease-related outcomes. We review differences in IBD development and progression among patients of different races and ethnicities, discussing the effects of factors such as access to care, delays in diagnosis, and health and disease perception on disparities in IBD care and outcomes. We identify research priorities for improving health equity among minority patients with IBD.

Socioeconomic disparities in the comorbidities and surgical management of pediatric Crohn's disease

BACKGROUND

To examine differences in comorbidities and surgical management based on socioeconomics in hospitalized children with Crohn's disease (CD).

METHODS

Using the Kids' Inpatient Database for 2006-2012, we identified patients (<21 years) with a CD diagnosis. Cases were analyzed and stratified by median parental income by zip code. Multivariable logistic regression was performed.

RESULTS

Of the 28,337 pediatric CD hospitalizations identified, patients were more likely male (51.1%), non-Hispanic white (71.3%), and had a mean age of 15.9 years. The proportion of minority patients increased as income quartile declined. Higher income quartile patients were more likely to be coded with anxiety and less likely with anemia. The highest income quartile was more likely to have a bowel obstruction, and peritoneal/intestinal abscess and was also 28% more likely to undergo a major surgical procedure.

CONCLUSIONS

Significant variability exists in the reported comorbidities and surgical interventions associated with CD by income quartile. Lower income quartile patients are more likely to be of minority ethnicity and anemic, but less likely to undergo a major surgical procedure. Further investigation is warranted to determine whether these differences represent disease variability, differences in healthcare resource allocation, or implicit bias in management.

IMPACT

There is a disparity in the care of children and young adults with Crohn's disease based on parental income. Links between parental income and the treatment of Crohn's disease in children and young adults has not been assessed in national datasets in the United States. Children in the highest income quartile were more likely to undergo a major surgical procedure. The variations in healthcare for hospitalized children and young adults with CD found in this study may represent variability in patient disease, implicit bias, or a disparity in healthcare delivery across the United States.

Black/African American Patients with Pediatric Crohn's Disease Report Less Anxiety and Fatigue than White Patients

OBJECTIVES

To compare patient-reported outcomes in black/African American patients with white patients participating in IBD Partners Kids & Teens, in order to identify possible racial healthcare disparities in pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) as future targets for improvement.

STUDY DESIGN

This was a cross-sectional analysis comparing patient-reported outcomes in black/African American patients with white patients, aged 9-18 years, with IBD participating in the IBD Partners Kids & Teens cohort from August 2013 to April 2018. Secondary outcomes included number of IBD-related hospitalizations and surgeries, current medication use, and disease activity.

RESULTS

We included 401 patients with Crohn's disease (white = 378 [94%]; black/African American = 23 [6%]). For children with Crohn's disease, black/African American patients compared with white patients reported less anxiety (40.7 vs 47.5, P = .001) and fatigue (44.3 vs 48.4, P = .047) despite more frequently reported treatment with biologics (91% vs 61%, P = .006) and antibiotics (17% vs 5%, P = .03) and history of hospitalizations (81% vs 52%, P = .02).

CONCLUSIONS

Black/African American children with Crohn's disease were less likely to report anxiety or fatigue than white patients, despite an apparent more severe disease course reflected by greater reported frequency of treatment with biologics and antibiotics and history of hospitalizations.

Shifting Cost-drivers of Health Care Expenditures in Inflammatory Bowel Disease

BACKGROUND

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are costly, chronic illnesses. Key cost-drivers of IBD health care expenditures include pharmaceuticals and unplanned care, but evolving treatment approaches have shifted these factors. We aimed to assess changes in cost of care, determine shifts in IBD cost-drivers, and examine differences by socioeconomic and insurance status over time.

METHODS

The Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), a nationally representative database that collects data on health care utilization and expenditures from a nationally representative sample since 1998, was utilized. Adult subjects with IBD were identified by ICD-9 codes. To determine changes in per-patient costs or cost-drivers unique to IBD, a control population of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) subjects was generated and matched in 1:1 case to control. Total annual health care expenditures were obtained and categorized as outpatient, inpatient, emergency, or pharmacy related. Temporal cohorts from 1998 to 2015 were created to assess change over time. Per-patient expenditures were compared by disease state and temporal cohort using weighted generalized linear models.

RESULTS

A total of 641 IBD subjects were identified and matched to 641 RA individuals. From 1998 to 2015, median total annual health care expenditures nearly doubled (adjusted estimate 2.20; 95% CI, 1.6-3.0) and were 36% higher in IBD compared with RA. In IBD, pharmacy expenses increased 7% to become the largest cost-driver (44% total expenditures). Concurrently, inpatient spending in IBD decreased by 40%. There were no significant differences in the rate of change of cost-drivers in IBD compared with RA.

CONCLUSIONS

Per-patient health care costs for chronic inflammatory conditions have nearly doubled over the last 20 years. Increases in pharmaceutical spending in IBD may be accompanied by reduction in inpatient care. Additional studies are needed to explore patient-, disease-, system-, and industry-level cost mitigation strategies.

Caregiver and Adolescent Patient Perspectives on Comprehensive Care for Inflammatory Bowel Diseases: Building a Family-Centered Care Delivery Model

BACKGROUND

Children with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) require primary and gastrointestinal (GI) care, but little is known about patient and family preferences for care receipt. We aimed to understand caregiver perceptions of current healthcare quality, describe barriers to receiving healthcare, and elicit caregiver and adolescent preferences for how comprehensive care ideally would be delivered.

METHODS

This was an anonymous survey of caregivers of 2- to 17-year olds with IBD and adolescents with IBD aged 13-17 years at a large, free-standing children's hospital. Surveys assessed patient medical history, family demographics, perceptions of health care quality and delivery, barriers to primary and GI care, and preferences for optimal care delivery.

RESULTS

Two hundred and seventeen caregivers and 140 adolescents were recruited, 214 caregivers and 133 adolescents consented/assented, and 160 caregivers and 84 adolescents completed the survey (75% and 60% response rate, respectively). Mean patient age was 14 years (SD = 3); 51% male; 79% Crohn's disease, 16% ulcerative colitis, and 4% indeterminate colitis. Caregivers were primarily female (86%), Caucasian (94%), and living in a 2-caregiver household (79%). Most caregivers reported that their child's primary care physician (PCP) and GI doctor oversaw their primary care (71%) and their IBD care (94%), respectively. Caregivers were satisfied with communication with their PCP and GI providers (>90%) but did not know how well they communicated with one another (54%). Barriers to primary and GI care varied, and few caregivers (6%) reported unmet healthcare needs. Caregivers and adolescents saw PCPs and GI doctors having important roles in comprehensive care, though specific preferences for care delivery differed.

CONCLUSION

Caregivers and adolescent perspectives are essential to developing family-centered care models for children with IBD.

Black and White Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease Show Similar Biologic Use Patterns With Medicaid Insurance

BACKGROUND

Prior studies have identified racial disparities in the treatment and outcomes of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). These disparities could be secondary to differences in biology, care delivery, or access to appropriate therapy. The primary aim of this study was to compare medication use among Medicaid-insured black and white patients with IBD, given uniform access to gastroenterologists and therapies.

METHODS

We analyzed Medicaid Analytic eXtract data from 4 states (California, Georgia, North Carolina, and Texas) between 2006 and 2011. We compared the use of IBD-specific therapies, including analyses of postoperative therapy among patients with Crohn disease (CD). We performed bivariate analyses and multivariable logistic regression, adjusting for potential confounders.

RESULTS

We identified 14,735 patients with IBD (4672 black [32%], 8277 with CD [58%]). In multivariable analysis, there was no significant difference in the odds of anti-tumor necrosis factor use by race for CD (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.13; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.99-1.28] or ulcerative colitis (aOR = 1.12; 95% CI, 0.96-1.32). Black patients with CD were more likely than white patients to receive combination therapy (aOR = 1.50; 95% CI, 1.15-1.96), and black patients were more likely than white patients to receive immunomodulator monotherapy after surgery for CD (31% vs 18%; P = 0.004).

CONCLUSIONS

In patients with Medicaid insurance, where access to IBD-specific therapy should be similar for all individuals, there was no significant disparity by race in the utilization of IBD-specific therapies. Disparities in IBD treatment discussed in prior literature seem to be driven by socioeconomic or other issues affecting access to care.

Predictors for poor outcome of hospitalized children with inflammatory bowel disease

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) exacerbations may lead to prolonged and complicated hospitalizations. The characteristics of exacerbation-related hospitalizations and predictors for poor outcome of pediatric patients hospitalized due to IBD have not been thoroughly described. All children who were hospitalized due to IBD exacerbation in a tertiary referral center between 2004 and 2017 were enrolled. Data on demographic and disease characteristics before and during hospitalization were retrospectively reviewed, as was the course of hospitalization, including laboratory findings, diagnostic work-up, and management. Poor outcomes were defined as prolonged hospitalization (≥ 7 days) and/or the need for surgery during hospitalization. There were 181 hospitalizations of 78 IBD children with a median (IQR) age of 14.8 (11.8-16.2) years. They included 53 (67.9%) with Crohn's disease and 25 (32.1%) with ulcerative colitis. In a multivariate analysis, severe disease activity at hospitalization (odds ratio [OR] = 3.33, P = 0.013), lower weight percentile (OR = 0.98, P = 0.009), treatment with antibiotics (OR = 5.03, P = 0.001), blood transfusion (OR = 8.03, P = 0.003), undergoing endoscopy (OR = 2.73, P = 0.027), and imaging studies during hospitalization (OR = 3.61, P = 0.001) predicted prolonged hospitalization. Surgical intervention was performed in 16 patients (8.8%), due to penetrating (OR = 7.73, P = 0.019) and stricturing disease (OR = 12.38, P < 0.001).Conclusion: We identified predictors for poor outcomes of children hospitalized due to IBD. Among the variables that can be measured at the beginning of the admission, severe disease activity was the most significant predictor recognition of these predictors that may contribute to modification of patient management.What is Known:• Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients may require hospitalization due to disease exacerbation or treatment-related complications.• Hospitalizations of IBD patients constitute a heavy emotional burden on patients and families.What is New:• Lower weight percentile, severe disease activity, and a lower albumin level were predictors for prolonged hospitalization in children with IBD.• Recognition of these predictors may contribute to modification of patient management.

Depression Predicts Prolonged Length of Hospital Stay in Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease

OBJECTIVE

Few studies report the impact of depression on inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)-related hospitalizations. We evaluated the association between depression and pediatric IBD-related hospitalizations. Our primary aim was to test the hypothesis that depression is associated with hospital length of stay (LOS); our secondary goal was to evaluate if patients with depression are at higher risk for undergoing additional imaging and procedures.

METHODS

Data were extracted from the 2012 Kids Inpatient Database (KID), the largest nationally representative publicly available all-payer pediatric inpatient cross-sectional database in the United States. Hospitalizations for patients less than 21 years with a primary diagnosis Crohn disease (CD) or ulcerative colitis (UC) by ICD-9 code were included. Multivariable logistic regression was used to predict long LOS controlling for patient- and hospital-level variables and for potential disease confounders.

RESULTS

For primary IBD-related hospitalizations (N = 8222), depression was associated with prolonged LOS (odds ratio [OR] 1.50; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.19-1.90) and total parenteral nutrition use (OR 1.54; 95% CI 1.04-2.27). Depression was not associated with increased likelihood of surgery (OR 0.97; 95% CI 0.72-1.30), endoscopy (OR 0.91; 95% CI 0.74-1.14), blood transfusion (OR 0.85; 95% CI 0.58-1.23), or abdominal imaging (OR 1.15; 95% CI 0.53-2.53).

CONCLUSIONS

Depression is associated with prolonged LOS in pediatric patients with IBD, even when controlling for gastrointestinal disease severity. Future research evaluating the efficacy of standardized depression screening and early intervention may be beneficial to improving inpatient outcomes in this population.