Ethnic variation of gastroschisis and omphalocele in the United States of America

Outcomes of Gastroschisis and Omphalocele Treated at Children's Surgery Verified Centers in Texas

INTRODUCTION

Anterior abdominal wall defects (AWDs), such as gastroschisis or omphalocele, are often diagnosed prenatally and counseled to deliver at facilities with resources capable of managing their AWD and complex-associated anomalies. The American College of Surgeons instituted their Children's Surgery Verification (CSV) program to identify facilities with the optimal resources for pediatric surgical care. We aimed to evaluate the impact of CSV status on the outcomes of AWD and potential health disparities in the care of AWD in the first year of life in Texas.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We performed a multicenter epidemiological cohort study of infants <1 y of age at discharge with AWD from 2013 to 2021. Data were extracted from the Texas Health Care Information Council Public Use Data File. Patients who were transferred were excluded to avoid systematic double counting.

RESULTS

We identified 2282 AWD patients with 26% treated at CSV centers and 68% undergoing surgical abdominal wall repair. The majority (70%) had gastroschisis. CSV center care recipients were more likely to be non-Hispanic (64% versus 58%, P = 0.018), reside in urban counties (92% versus 82%, P < 0.001), or counties not along the Mexican border (98% versus 81%, P < 0.001) when compared with non-CSV patients. While non-CSV admissions had lower costs per day ($9316 versus $10,109, P = 0.003), CSV centers had slightly lower mortality although this was not statistically significant (8% versus 10%, P = 0.153) despite higher illness severity scores (extreme illness severity: 51% versus 44%, P = 0.019). However, it is notable that non-CSV centers had higher rates of prematurity (62% versus 55%, P = 0.003). Multivariable logistic regression analysis for mortality revealed that treatment at CSV centers (adjusted odds ratio 0.562, P = 0.005) was protective. Predictive modeling revealed that CSV centers have lower predicted mortality across all illness severity levels as compared with non-CSV centers.

CONCLUSIONS

AWD treated at CSV centers have superior outcomes with improved mortality despite increased patient complexity and illness severity. Disparities in care at CSV centers exist based on race and geographic residency. Ongoing quality efforts are needed to improve quality universally and recognize facilities providing high-quality care while also ensuring equitable access to high-quality pediatric surgical care.

Pregnancy health and perinatal outcomes among Pacific Islander women in the United States and US Affiliated Pacific Islands: Protocol for a scoping review

This scoping review examines the literature on pregnancy and perinatal outcomes among Pacific Islander women in the United States (U.S.) and U.S.-affiliated Pacific Islands. Our aim was to identify research that disaggregated Pacific Islanders from other population groups. We conducted a systematic search of MEDLINE (Ovid), Embase (Ovid), CINAHL (EBSCO), and PsycINFO (Ovid) databases and a hand-search of grey literature. Forty-eight articles published between January 2010 and June 2020 were included. The majority of studies were conducted in Hawaii and utilized clinical record data. Infant outcomes were more commonly reported than maternal outcomes. We highlighted several limitations of the existing literature that included aggregation of Pacific Islanders with Asian American and other ethnic groups; limited comparison between Pacific Islander sub-groups; inadequate definitions of the nationality and ethnic composition of Pacific Islander groups; a lack of hypothesis-driven primary data collection and clinical trials; and underrepresentation of Pacific Islanders in population-based studies. Researchers should address these limitations to improve pregnancy and perinatal outcomes among Pacific Islanders, who comprise the second fastest growing ethnic minority in the U.S.

Gastroschisis: A Review of Management and Outcomes

We performed an evidence-based review of the obstetrical management of gastroschisis. Gastroschisis is an abdominal wall defect, which has increased in frequency in recent decades. There is variation of prevalence by ethnicity and several known maternal risk factors. Herniated intestinal loops lacking a covering membrane can be identified with prenatal ultrasonography, and maternal serum α-fetoprotein level is commonly elevated. Because of the increased risk for growth restriction, amniotic fluid abnormalities, and fetal demise, antenatal testing is generally recommended. While many studies have aimed to identify antenatal predictors of neonatal outcome, accurate prognosis remains challenging. Delivery by 37 weeks appears reasonable, with cesarean delivery reserved for obstetric indications. Postnatal surgical management includes primary surgical closure, staged reduction with silo, or sutureless umbilical closure. Overall prognosis is good with low long-term morbidity in the majority of cases, but approximately 15% of cases are very complex with complicated hospital course, extensive intestinal loss, and early childhood death.