Trends in resource utilization by children with neurological impairment in the United States inpatient health care system: a repeat cross-sectional study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Care advances in the United States (US) have led to improved survival of children with neurological impairment (NI). Children with NI may account for an increasing proportion of hospital resources. However, this assumption has not been tested at a national level.

Methods and findings

We conducted a study of 25,747,016 US hospitalizations of children recorded in the Kids' Inpatient Database (years 1997, 2000, 2003, and 2006). Children with NI were identified with International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification diagnoses resulting in functional and/or intellectual impairment. We assessed trends in inpatient resource utilization for children with NI with a Mantel-Haenszel chi-square test using all 4 y of data combined. Across the 4 y com

SUBMITTER: Berry JG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3260313 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature