Children from the lowest-income (vs. the highest-income) neighborhoods were more likely to die following cardiac surgery and required more intensive post-op care.
Disparities in health outcomes based on neighborhood have been documented for obesity and asthma, among other conditions. To evaluate whether this disparity exists in pediatric cardiac surgery outcomes, researchers examined administrative data from over 100,000 children aged <19 years who underwent surgery for a congenital heart defect at 1 of 46 pediatric tertiary care hospitals. These data were linked with U.S. Census data on household income by zip code. Cardiac transplantation and ligation for patent ductus arteriosus cases were excluded.
Children from the lowest-income neighborhoods had a significantly higher mortality rate (3.5% vs. 2.2%), longer length of stay (9 vs. 7 days), and higher median standardized inpatient hospital cost (US$…
Reviewing Author
DisclosuresGrant/Research SupportNIH Institutional Clinical and Translational Science Award; Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality National Center for Pediatric Practice Based Research Learning; Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute
Editorial BoardsCurrent Problems in Pediatric Adolescent Healthcare
Leadership Positions in Professional Societies College of Physicians of Philadelphia (Board of Trustees)
DisclosuresGrant/Research SupportNIH Institutional Clinical and Translational Science Award; Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality National Center for Pediatric Practice Based Research Learning; Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute
Editorial BoardsCurrent Problems in Pediatric Adolescent Healthcare
Leadership Positions in Professional Societies College of Physicians of Philadelphia (Board of Trustees)