The influence of environmental risk factors in hospitalization for gastro-oesophageal reflux disease-related diagnoses in the United States

Abstract

Background: The impact of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease on hospitalization is unknown.

Aim: To describe the characteristics of patients hospitalized for diagnoses related to gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and find potential environmental influences that affect their hospitalization.

Methods: Data from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project were used to study the demographic characteristics of hospitalizations associated with GERD during 2003-2006. Data from the Centers for Disease Control were used for information about the US prevalence of obesity.

Results: During 2003-2006, 0.5 million patients with a primary and 14.5 million patients with a secondary GERD-related diagnosis became hospitalized in the US. Oesophageal reflux and hiatal hernia were more common in female than in male inpatients, whereas Barrett's oesophagus and oesophageal adenocarcinoma were more common in male than in female inpatients. All GERD-related diagnoses were more common in white people than non-white people. Hospitalizations associated with oesophageal reflux, reflux oesophagitis and Barrett's oesophagus showed resembling geographical distributions among different US states. The prevalence of obesity and the hospitalization for hiatal hernia or reflux oesophagitis were also characterized by similar geographical distributions.

Conclusion: The large numbers of inpatients with a discharge diagnosis of GERD-related conditions attest to the frequent occurrence and relevance of GERD in contributing to hospitalization in the US.