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Using the Washington State hospital discharge database, researchers identified 327 children who underwent operative treatment for intussusception from 1999 through 2009, and compared outcomes between 273 patients treated at 5 pediatric hospitals and 54 patients treated at 26 nonpediatric hospitals. Patients who underwent exploratory laparotomy or laparoscopy alone were excluded to avoid including patients whose intussusception spontaneously reduced. Pediatric hospital was defined as a hospital with fellowship-trained pediatric surgeons available 24/7.
Most children were aged 4 years or younger (83%) and male (65%). The overall complication rate was 12%. Severe disease (defined as acidosis, bowel ischemia, peritonitis, or intestinal perforati…