Emergent care patterns in patients with spina bifida: a case-control study.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

Individuals with spina bifida are typically followed closely as outpatients by multidisciplinary teams. However, emergent care of these patients is not well defined. We describe patterns of emergent care in patients with spina bifida and healthy controls.

Materials and methods

We reviewed Nationwide Emergency Department Sample data from 2006 to 2010. Subjects without spina bifida (controls) were selected from the sample using stratified random sampling and matched to each case by age, gender and treatment year at a 1:4 ratio. Missing emergency department charges were estimated by multiple imputation. Statistical analyses were performed to compare patterns of care among emergency department visits and charges.

Results

A total of 226,709 patients with spina bifi

SUBMITTER: Wang HH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4379115 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature