Variations in hospitalization outcomes in children admitted with seizures between 2003 and 2006

Abstract

Economic factors play an increasingly important role in the management of medical conditions. This study evaluated the economic impact of seizures in children in the United States using a large national data set known as the Kids' Inpatient Database (KID). The aim of this study was to characterize hospitalizations including total costs, length of stay, and variations in care. There were 63,719 pediatric seizure discharges in the 2003 and 2006 Kids' Inpatient Database. The mean hospital cost was $4105 in 2003 and $4553 in 2006. Patients with government insurance as the primary payer had a significantly longer length of stay compared with private insurance or self-pay patients (P < .0001); however, there was no significant difference in the total costs of hospitalization between the different payer groups. This analysis highlights multiple disparities of health care utilization in pediatric seizure management. In a stressful economic climate, all health care entities must focus on cost management of pediatric seizure.