Use of CT Scans for Abdominal Pain in the ED: Factors in Choice.

Overutilization of healthcare resources is a threat to long-term healthcare sustainability and patient outcomes. CT is a costly but efficient means of assessing abdominal pain; however, 97 per cent of ED physicians acknowledge its overutilization. This study sought to understand factors that influence ED providers' decision regarding CT use in the evaluation of abdominal pain. After evaluating a patient for acute abdominal pain, ED providers filled in a form in which the primary diagnosis and index of suspicion were recorded. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were used to identify predictors of outcomes. The CT scan utilization rate was 54.82 per cent. Whereas 34.11 per cent of CT scans were normal, 30 per cent yielded an acute abdominal pathology. Tenderness and rebound tenderness were positive predictors of high index of suspicion [odds ratio (OR) 2.09 and 2.54, respectively]. These variables were also predictive of obtaining a CT scan [OR 2.64 and 3.41, respectively]. Compared with whites, the index of suspicion was 26 per cent and 56 per cent less likely to be high when patients were black [OR 0.73] or Hispanic [OR 0.44] respectively. Blacks and Hispanics were less likely to have CT scans performed than whites [OR 0.58 and 0.48, respectively]. Leukocytosis significantly affected the index of suspicion for acute abdominal pathology, obtaining a CT scan and the acuity of CT scan diagnosis on multivariate analysis. Patients aged ≥60 years had 2.03 odds of acute CT finding compared with those aged <60 years. There is a need for committed efforts to optimize CT scan utilization and eliminate socioeconomic disparities in health care.

Assessment and Treatment Recommendations for Pediatric Pain: The Influence of Patient Race, Patient Gender, and Provider Pain-Related Attitudes.

Previous studies have documented that racial minorities and women receive poorer pain care than their demographic counterparts. Providers contribute to these disparities when their pain-related decision-making systematically varies across patient groups. Less is known about racial and gender disparities in children with pain or the extent to which providers contribute to these disparities. In a sample of 129 medical students (henceforth referred to as "providers"), Virtual Human methodology and a pain-related version of the Implicit Association Test (IAT) were used to examine the effects of patient race/gender on providers' pain assessment/treatment decisions for pediatric chronic abdominal pain, as well as the moderating role of provider implicit pain-related race/gender attitudes. Findings indicated that providers rated Black patients as more distressed (mean difference [MD] = 2.33, P < .01, standard error [SE] = .71, 95% confidence interval [CI] = .92, 3.73) and as experiencing more pain-related interference (MD = 3.14, P < .01, SE = .76, 95% CI = 1.63, 4.64) compared to White patients. Providers were more likely to recommend opioids for Black patients than White patients (MD = 2.41, P < .01, SE = .58, 95% CI = 1.05, 3.76). Female patients were perceived to be more distressed by their pain (MD = 2.14, P < .01, SE = .79, 95% CI = .58, 3.70) than male patients, however there were no gender differences in treatment recommendations. IAT results indicated that providers held implicit attitudes that Black Americans (M = .19, standard deviation [SD] = .29) and males (M = .38, SD = .29) were more pain-tolerant than their demographic counterparts; however, these implicit attitudes did not significantly moderate their pain assessment/treatment decisions. Future studies are needed to elucidate specific paths through which the pain experience and care of children differ across racial and gender groups. PERSPECTIVE: Providers' pain assessment (ie, pain distress/pain interference) and treatment (ie, opioids) of pediatric pain differs across patient race and to a lesser extent, patient gender. This study represents a critical step in research on pain-related disparities in pediatric pain.

Effect of patient and nurse ethnicity on emergency department analgesia for children with appendicitis in israeli government hospitals.

BACKGROUND: Ethnicity is a risk factor for disparate Emergency Department (ED) analgesia. We aimed to explore ethnic variations in the administration of ED analgesia to children with acute appendicitis in Israeli government hospitals. METHODS: Children discharged with an International Classification of Disease-Ninth Revision diagnosis of acute appendicitis between 2010 and 2015 were included. The association between patient ethnicity (Jewish, Arab) and analgesia administration (any, opioid) was assessed. Age, gender, triage category, pain score and time of arrival were tested as possible confounders. The effect of patient-nurse ethnic discordance (PNED) was examined. RESULTS: Overall, 4714 children with acute appendicitis, 3520 Jewish and 1194 Arab, were cared for in the EDs; 1516 (32.2%) received any analgesia and 368 (7.8%) opioid analgesia. Stratified by pain score, no statistical differences were found in the administration of any or opioid analgesia between Jewish and Arab patients with either severe pain or moderate pain. In multivariate modelling adjusted for pain score and triage category, the rates of any analgesia for Arab and Jewish patients were 31.8% (95% CI, 30.9-32.6) and 36.5% (95% CI, 36.0-36.9), adjusted OR (aOR) = 1.16 (95% CI, 0.98-1.38), respectively. The rates of opioid analgesia for Arab and Jewish patients were 8.5% (95% CI, 8.2-8.9) and 7.9% (95% CI, 7.3-8.7), aOR = 0.77; (95% CI, 0.59-1.22), respectively. Jewish and Arab nurses treated proportionally fewer patients from the opposite ethnicity with any analgesia (p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Emergency Department analgesia was markedly low, and not associated with patient ethnicity. PNED was associated with decreased rates of analgesia. SIGNIFICANCE: Emergency Department analgesia for children with acute appendicitis in Israeli government hospitals is markedly low. Patient-provider ethnic discordance may negatively influence the provision of analgesia. Significant efforts should be undertaken in order to increase analgesia provision rates and reduce social inequality.

Person-centred pain management for the patient with acute abdominal pain: An ethnography informed by the Fundamentals of Care framework.

AIMS: To explore and describe the impact of the organizational culture on and the patient-practitioner patterns of actions that contributes to or detract from successful pain management for the patient with acute abdominal pain (AAP) across the acute care pathway. BACKGROUND: Although pain management is a recognized human right, unmanaged pain continues to cause suffering and prolong hospital care. Unanswered questions about how to successfully manage pain relate to both organizational culture and individual practitioners' performance. DESIGN: Focused ethnography, applying the Developmental Research Sequence and the Fundamentals of Care framework. METHODS: Participant observation and informal interviews (92 hr) were performed at one emergency department (ED) and two surgical wards at a University Hospital during April-November 2015. Data include 261 interactions between patients, aged ≥18 years seeking care for AAP at the ED and admitted to a surgical ward (N = 31; aged 20-90 years; 14 men, 17 women; 9 with communicative disabilities) and healthcare practitioners (N = 198). RESULTS: The observations revealed an organizational culture with considerable impact on how well pain was managed. Well-managed pain presupposed the patient and practitioners to connect in a holistic pain management including a trustful relationship, communication to share knowledge and individualized analgesics. CONCLUSIONS: Person-centred pain management requires an organization where patients and practitioners share their knowledge of pain and pain management as true partners. Leaders and practitioners should make small behavioural changes to enable the crucial positive experience of pain management.

Negative correlation of cortical thickness with the severity and duration of abdominal pain in Asian women with irritable bowel syndrome.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) manifests as chronic abdominal pain. One pathophysiological theory states that the brain-gut axis is responsible for pain control in the intestine. Although several studies have discussed the structural changes in the brain of IBS patients, most of these studies have been conducted in Western populations. Different cultures and sexes experience different pain sensations and have different pain responses. Accordingly, we aimed to identify the specific changes in the cortical thickness of Asian women with IBS and to compare these data to those of non-Asian women with IBS. METHODS: Thirty Asian female IBS patients (IBS group) and 39 healthy individuals (control group) were included in this study. Brain structural magnetic resonance imaging was performed. We used FreeSurfer to analyze the differences in the cortical thickness and their correlations with patient characteristics. RESULTS: The left cuneus, left rostral middle frontal cortex, left supramarginal cortex, right caudal anterior cingulate cortex, and bilateral insula exhibited cortical thinning in the IBS group compared with those in the controls. Furthermore, the brain cortical thickness correlated negatively the severity as well as duration of abdominal pain. CONCLUSIONS: Some of our findings differ from those of Western studies. In our study, all of the significant brain regions in the IBS group exhibited cortical thinning compared with those in the controls. The differences in cortical thickness between the IBS patients and controls may provide useful information to facilitate regulating abdominal pain in IBS patients. These findings offer insights into the association of different cultures and sexes with differences in cortical thinning in patients with IBS.

Influence of culture on pain comorbidity in women with and without temporomandibular disorder-pain.

Evidence on cultural differences in prevalence and impact of common chronic pain conditions, comparing individuals with temporomandibular disorders (TMD) versus individuals without TMD, is limited. The aim was to assess cross-cultural comorbid pain conditions in women with chronic TMD pain. Consecutive women patients (n = 122) with the index condition of chronic TMD pain diagnosed per the research diagnostic criteria for TMD and TMD-free controls (n = 121) matched for age were recruited in Saudi Arabia, Italy and Sweden. Self-report questionnaires assessed back, chest, stomach and head pain for prevalence, pain intensity and interference with daily activities. Logistic regression was used for binary variables, and ancova was used for parametric data analysis, adjusting for age and education. Back pain was the only comorbid condition with a different prevalence across cultures; Swedes reported a lower prevalence compared to Saudis (P < 0·01). Saudis reported higher prevalence of work reduced >50% due to back pain compared to Italians or Swedes (P < 0·01). Headache was the most common comorbid condition in all three cultures. The total number of comorbid conditions did not differ cross-culturally but were reported more by TMD-pain cases than TMD-free controls (P < 0·01). For both back and head pain, higher average pain intensities (P < 0·01) and interference with daily activities (P < 0·01) were reported by TMD-pain cases, compared to TMD-free controls. Among TMD-pain cases, Italians reported the highest pain-related disability (P < 0·01). Culture influences the associated comorbidity of common pain conditions. The cultural influence on pain expression is reflected in different patterns of physical representation.

Racial Differences in the Clinical Profile, Causes, and Outcome of Chronic Pancreatitis.

OBJECTIVES: Racial differences in susceptibility and progression of pancreatitis have been reported in epidemiologic studies using administrative or retrospective data. There has been little study, however, on the clinical profile, causes, and outcome of chronic pancreatitis (CP) in black patients. METHODS: We analyzed data on black patients with CP prospectively enrolled in the multicenter North American Pancreatitis Studies from 26 US centers during the years 2000-2014. CP was defined by definitive evidence on imaging studies or histology. Information on demographics, etiology, risk factors, disease phenotype, treatment, and perceived effectiveness was obtained from responses to detailed questionnaires completed by both patients and physicians. RESULTS: Of the 1,159 patients enrolled, 248 (21%) were black. When compared with whites, blacks were significantly more likely to be male (60.9 vs. 53%), ever (88.2 vs. 71.8%), or current smokers (64.2 vs. 45.9%), or have a physician-defined alcohol etiology (77 vs. 41.9%). There was no overall difference in the duration of CP although for alcoholic CP, blacks had a longer duration of disease (8.6 vs. 6.97 years; P=0.02). Blacks were also significantly more likely to have advanced changes on pancreatic morphology (calcifications (63.3 vs. 55.2%), atrophy (43.2 vs. 34.6%), pancreatic ductal stricture or dilatation (72.6 vs. 65.5%) or common bile duct stricture (18.6 vs. 8.2%)) and function (endocrine insufficiency 39.9 vs. 30.2%). Moreover, the prevalence of any (94.7 vs. 83%), constant (62.6 vs. 51%), and severe (78.4 vs. 65.8%) pain and disability (35.1 vs. 21.4%) were significantly higher in blacks. Observed differences were in part related to variances in etiology and duration of disease. No differences in medical or endoscopic treatments were seen between races although prior cholecystectomy (31.1 vs. 19%) was more common in white patients. CONCLUSIONS: Differences were observed between blacks and whites in the underlying cause, morphologic expression, and pain characteristics of CP, which in part are explained by the underlying risk factor(s) with alcohol and tobacco being much more frequent in black patients as well as disease duration.

Seroprevalence and correlates of Toxoplasma gondii infection in Yoremes (Mayos) in Mexico: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVES: We sought to determine the prevalence of anti-Toxoplasma gondii antibodies in Yoremes and to identify associations of T. gondii exposure with sociodemographic, clinical and behavioural characteristics of Yoremes. DESIGN: A cross-sectional survey. SETTING: Yoremes were enrolled in the locality of Tierra Blanca in the municipality of Navojoa in Sonora State, Mexico. PARTICIPANTS: We studied 200 Yoremes (Mayos); they are an indigenous ethnic group living in a coastal region in northwestern Mexico. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: We assessed the prevalence of anti-Toxoplasma IgG and IgM antibodies in participants using enzyme-linked immunoassays. We used a standardised questionnaire to obtain the characteristics of Yoremes. The association of T. gondii exposure and Yoremes' characteristics was assessed by bivariate and multivariate analyses. RESULTS: Of the 200 Yoremes studied (mean age: 31.50±18.43 years), 26 (13.0%) were positive for anti-T. gondii IgG antibodies and 19 (73.1%) of them were also positive for anti-T. gondii IgM antibodies. Seroprevalence of T. gondii infection did not vary with sex, educational level, occupation or socioeconomic status. In contrast, multivariate analysis of sociodemographic and behavioural characteristics showed that T. gondii exposure was associated with increasing age (OR=1.02; 95% CI 1.00 to 1.04; p=0.03) and consumption of squirrel meat (OR=4.99; 95% CI 1.07 to 23.31; p=0.04). Furthermore, seroprevalence of T. gondii infection was significantly higher in Yoremes with a history of lymphadenopathy (p=0.03) and those suffering from frequent abdominal pain (p=0.03). In women, T. gondii exposure was associated with a history of caesarean sections (p=0.03) and miscarriages (p=0.02). CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrate, for the first time, serological evidence of T. gondii exposure among Yoremes in Mexico. Results suggest that infection with T. gondii might be affecting the health of Yoremes. Results may be useful for an optimal design of preventive measures against T. gondii infection.

Analgesic Access for Acute Abdominal Pain in the Emergency Department Among Racial/Ethnic Minority Patients: A Nationwide Examination.

BACKGROUND: Prior studies of acute abdominal pain provide conflicting data regarding the presence of racial/ethnic disparities in the emergency department (ED). OBJECTIVE: To evaluate race/ethnicity-based differences in ED analgesic pain management among a national sample of adult patients with acute abdominal pain based on a uniform definition. RESEARCH DESIGN/SUBJECTS/MEASURES: The 2006-2010 CDC-NHAMCS data were retrospectively queried for patients 18 years and above presenting with a primary diagnosis of nontraumatic acute abdominal pain as defined by the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma. Independent predictors of analgesic/narcotic-specific analgesic receipt were determined. Risk-adjusted multivariable analyses were then performed to determine associations between race/ethnicity and analgesic receipt. Stratified analyses considered risk-adjusted differences by the level of patient-reported pain on presentation. Secondary outcomes included: prolonged ED-LOS (>6 h), ED wait time, number of diagnostic tests, and subsequent inpatient admission. RESULTS: A total of 6710 ED visits were included: 61.2% (n=4106) non-Hispanic white, 20.1% (n=1352) non-Hispanic black, 14.0% (n=939) Hispanic, and 4.7% (n=313) other racial/ethnic group patients. Relative to non-Hispanic white patients, non-Hispanic black patients and patients of other races/ethnicities had 22%-30% lower risk-adjusted odds of analgesic receipt [OR (95% CI)=0.78 (0.67-0.90); 0.70 (0.56-0.88)]. They had 17%-30% lower risk-adjusted odds of narcotic analgesic receipt (P<0.05). Associations persisted for patients with moderate-severe pain but were insignificant for mild pain presentations. When stratified by the proportion of minority patients treated and the proportion of patients reporting severe pain, discrepancies in analgesic receipt were concentrated in hospitals treating the largest percentages of both. CONCLUSIONS: Analysis of 5 years of CDC-NHAMCS data corroborates the presence of racial/ethnic disparities in ED management of pain on a national scale. On the basis of a uniform definition, the results establish the need for concerted quality-improvement efforts to ensure that all patients, regardless of race/ethnicity, receive optimal access to pain relief.

Health outcomes in US children with abdominal pain at major emergency departments associated with race and socioeconomic status.

OBJECTIVE: Over 9.6 million ED visits occur annually for abdominal pain in the US, but little is known about the medical outcomes of these patients based on demographics. We aimed to identify disparities in outcomes among children presenting to the ED with abdominal pain linked to race and SES. METHODS: Data from 4.2 million pediatric encounters of abdominal pain were analyzed from 43 tertiary US children's hospitals, including 2.0 million encounters in the emergency department during 2004-2011. Abdominal pain was categorized as functional or organic abdominal pain. Appendicitis (with and without perforation) was used as a surrogate for abdominal pain requiring emergent care. Multivariate analysis estimated likelihood of hospitalizations, radiologic imaging, ICU admissions, appendicitis, appendicitis with perforation, and time to surgery and hospital discharge. RESULTS: Black and low income children had increased odds of perforated appendicitis (aOR, 1.42, 95% CI, 1.32- 1.53; aOR, 1.20, 95% CI 1.14 - 1.25). Blacks had increased odds of an ICU admission (aOR, 1.92, 95% CI 1.53 - 2.42) and longer lengths of stay (aHR, 0.91, 95% CI 0.86 - 0.96) than Whites. Minorities and low income also had lower rates of imaging for their appendicitis, including CT scans. The combined effect of race and income on perforated appendicitis, hospitalization, and time to surgery was greater than either separately. CONCLUSIONS: Based on race and SES, disparity of health outcomes exists in the acute ED setting among children presenting with abdominal pain, with differences in appendicitis with perforation, length of stay, and time until surgery.

Combating Racial Health Disparities Through Medical Education: The Need for Anthropological and Genetic Perspectives in Medical Training.

Despite major public health initiatives, significant disparities persist among racially and ethnically defined groups in the prevalence of disease, access to medical care, quality of medical care, and health outcomes for common causes of morbidity and mortality in the United States. It is critical that we develop new and creative strategies to address such inequities; mitigate the social, environmental, institutional, and genetic determinants of poor health; and combat the persistence of racial profiling in clinical contexts that further exacerbates racial/ethnic health disparities. This article argues that medical education is a prime target for intervention and that anthropologists and human population geneticists should play a role in efforts to reform US medical curricula. Medical education would benefit greatly by incorporating anthropological and genetic perspectives on the complexities of race, human genetic variation, epigenetics, and the causes of racial/ethnic disparities. Medical students and practicing physicians should also receive training on how to use this knowledge to improve clinical practice, diagnosis, and treatment for racially diverse populations.

Phenol-based endoscopic ultrasound-guided celiac plexus neurolysis for East Asian alcohol-intolerant upper gastrointestinal cancer patients: a pilot study.

AIM: To investigate the effectiveness of phenol for the relief of cancer pain by endoscopic ultrasound-guided celiac plexus neurolysis (EUS-CPN). METHODS: Twenty-two patients referred to our hospital with cancer pain from August 2009 to July 2011 for EUS-CPN were enrolled in this study. Phenol was used for 6 patients with alcohol intolerance and ethanol was used for 16 patients without alcohol intolerance. The primary endpoint was the positive response rate (pain score decreased to ≤ 3) on postoperative day 7. Secondary endpoints included the time to onset of pain relief, duration of pain relief, and complication rates. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the positive response rate on day 7. The rates were 83% and 69% in the phenol and ethanol groups, respectively. Regarding the time to onset of pain relief, in the phenol group, the median pre-treatment pain score was 5, whereas the post-treatment scores decreased to 1.5, 1.5, and 1.5 at 2, 8, and 24 h, respectively (P < 0.05). In the ethanol group, the median pre-treatment pain score was 5.5, whereas the post-treatment scores significantly decreased to 2.5, 2.5, and 2.5 at 2, 8, and 24 h, respectively (P < 0.01). There was no significant difference in the duration of pain relief between the phenol and ethanol groups. No significant difference was found in the rate of complications between the 2 groups; however, burning pain and inebriation occurred only in the ethanol group. CONCLUSION: Phenol had similar pain-relieving effects to ethanol in EUS-CPN. Comparing the incidences of inebriation and burning pain, phenol may be superior to ethanol in EUS-CPN procedures.

Self-reported pain intensity with the numeric reporting scale in adult dengue.

BACKGROUND: Pain is a prominent feature of acute dengue as well as a clinical criterion in World Health Organization guidelines in diagnosing dengue. We conducted a prospective cohort study to compare levels of pain during acute dengue between different ethnicities and dengue severity. METHODS: Demographic, clinical and laboratory data were collected. Data on self-reported pain was collected using the 11-point Numerical Rating Scale. Generalized structural equation models were built to predict progression to severe disease. RESULTS: A total of 499 laboratory confirmed dengue patients were recruited in the Prospective Adult Dengue Study at Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore. We found no statistically significant differences between pain score with age, gender, ethnicity or the presence of co-morbidity. Pain score was not predictive of dengue severity but highly correlated to patients' day of illness. Prevalence of abdominal pain in our cohort was 19%. There was no difference in abdominal pain score between grades of dengue severity. CONCLUSION: Dengue is a painful disease. Patients suffer more pain at the earlier phase of illness. However, pain score cannot be used to predict a patient's progression to severe disease.

Effect of Hispanic ethnicity and language barriers on appendiceal perforation rates and imaging in children.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the association between Hispanic ethnicity and limited English proficiency (LEP) and the rates of appendiceal perforation and advanced radiologic imaging (computed tomography and ultrasound) in children with abdominal pain. STUDY DESIGN: We performed a secondary analysis of a prospective, cross-sectional, multicenter study of children aged 3-18 years presenting with abdominal pain concerning for appendicitis between March 2009 and April 2010 at 10 tertiary care pediatric emergency departments in the US. Appendiceal perforation and advanced imaging rates were compared between ethnic and language proficiency groups using simple and multivariate regression models. RESULTS: Of 2590 patients enrolled, 1001 (38%) had appendicitis, including 36% of non-Hispanics and 44% of Hispanics. In multivariate modeling, Hispanics with LEP had a significantly greater odds of appendiceal perforation (OR, 1.44; 95% CI, 1.20-1.74). Hispanics with LEP with appendiceal perforation of moderate clinical severity were less likely to undergo advanced imaging compared with English-speaking non-Hispanics (OR, 0.64; 95% CI, 0.43-0.95). CONCLUSION: Hispanic ethnicity with LEP is an important risk factor for appendiceal perforation in pediatric patients brought to the emergency department with possible appendicitis. Among patients with moderate clinical severity, Hispanic ethnicity with LEP appears to be associated with lower imaging rates. This effect of English proficiency and Hispanic ethnicity warrants further investigation to understand and overcome barriers, which may lead to increased appendiceal perforation rates and differential diagnostic evaluation.

Choledocholithiasis in African American and Hispanic patients: a comparison between painless presentation and classical biliary pain with regards to clinical manifestations and outcomes.

Choledocholithiasis (CDL) usually presents with biliary pain. Painless CDL is also known to occur, especially in the elderly. The purpose of this study is to determine whether the mode of presentation (painful vs. painless) influences the clinical course and outcomes of CDL in African American and Hispanic patients. Ten years of admission and discharge records (January 1998-December 2007) were reviewed retrospectively, yielding 527 community hospital patients, aged 23-97 years, with the final diagnosis of CDL. Patients with painless presentation had higher odds of having comorbidities compared to patients presenting with pain. However, patients who presented with biliary pain were predominantly younger (mean age 34 years), and 59% were Hispanic females (p = 0.001). In our study painless CDL was associated with higher morbidity and mortality.

Association of race and ethnicity with management of abdominal pain in the emergency department.

OBJECTIVE: To determine if race/ethnicity-based differences exist in the management of pediatric abdominal pain in emergency departments (EDs). METHODS: Secondary analysis of data from the 2006-2009 National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey regarding 2298 visits by patients ≤ 21 years old who presented to EDs with abdominal pain. Main outcomes were documentation of pain score and receipt of any analgesics, analgesics for severe pain (defined as ≥ 7 on a 10-point scale), and narcotic analgesics. Secondary outcomes included diagnostic tests obtained, length of stay (LOS), 72-hour return visits, and admission. RESULTS: Of patient visits, 70.1% were female, 52.6% were from non-Hispanic white, 23.5% were from non-Hispanic black, 20.6% were from Hispanic, and 3.3% were from "other" racial/ethnic groups; patients' mean age was 14.5 years. Multivariate logistic regression models adjusting for confounders revealed that non-Hispanic black patients were less likely to receive any analgesic (odds ratio [OR]: 0.61; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.43-0.87) or a narcotic analgesic (OR: 0.38; 95% CI: 0.18-0.81) than non-Hispanic white patients (referent group). This finding was also true for non-Hispanic black and "other" race/ethnicity patients with severe pain (ORs [95% CI]: 0.43 [0.22-0.87] and 0.02 [0.00-0.19], respectively). Non-Hispanic black and Hispanic patients were more likely to have a prolonged LOS than non-Hispanic white patients (ORs [95% CI]: 1.68 [1.13-2.51] and 1.64 [1.09-2.47], respectively). No significant race/ethnicity-based disparities were identified in documentation of pain score, use of diagnostic procedures, 72-hour return visits, or hospital admissions. CONCLUSIONS: Race/ethnicity-based disparities exist in ED analgesic use and LOS for pediatric abdominal pain. Recognizing these disparities may help investigators eliminate inequalities in care.

Race and acute abdominal pain in a pediatric emergency department.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the demographic and clinical factors of children who present to the pediatric emergency department (ED) with abdominal pain and their outcomes. METHODS: A review of the electronic medical record of patients 1 to 18 years old, who presented to the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh ED with a complaint of abdominal pain over the course of 2 years, was conducted. Demographic and clinical characteristics, as well as visit outcomes, were reviewed. Subjects were grouped by age, race, and gender. Results of evaluation, treatment, and clinical outcomes were compared between groups by using multivariate analysis and recursive partitioning. RESULTS: There were 9424 patient visits during the study period that met inclusion and exclusion criteria. Female gender comprised 61% of African American children compared with 52% of white children. Insurance was characterized as private for 75% of white and 37% of African American children. A diagnosis of appendicitis was present in 1.9% of African American children and 5.1% of white children. Older children were more likely to be admitted and have an operation associated with their ED visit. Appendicitis was uncommon in younger children. Constipation was commonly diagnosed. Multivariate analysis by diagnosis as well as recursive partitioning analysis did not reflect any racial differences in evaluation, treatment, or outcome. CONCLUSIONS: Constipation is the most common diagnosis in children presenting with abdominal pain. Our data demonstrate that no racial differences exist in the evaluation, treatment, and disposition of children with abdominal pain.