In Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Racial Disparities Exist in Burden of Vaccine-preventable Disease Hospitalizations and Outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are at increased risk of vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs). Despite the increasing prevalence of IBD in non-white populations, little is known regarding racial disparities in VPD burden. METHODS: Retrospectively analyzing the 2016 to 2020 National Inpatient Sample, we identified adults with IBD hospitalized for a principal diagnosis of VPD. The primary outcome investigated was hospitalization for VPD stratified by patient-reported race. Secondary outcomes were in-hospital morbidity, mortality, length of stay, and health care utilization. Multivariable regression analysis was performed to adjust for patient and hospital characteristics. RESULTS: The search identified 554,114 hospitalizations for VPD, including 4170 hospitalizations in patients with IBD. Patients with IBD had significantly greater odds of hospitalization from herpes zoster virus (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 1.73) and varicella zoster virus (aOR: 2.31). Comparing white and non-white patients with IBD, significant racial disparities were noted. Non-white patients were at greater odds of hospitalization from influenza (aOR: 1.74), herpes zoster virus (aOR: 1.77), and varicella zoster virus (aOR: 1.62). In-hospital morbidity was greater in non-white patients, including greater odds of requiring intensive care unit stay (aOR: 1.18). Morbidity was elevated in African Americans, with greater odds of acute kidney injury (aOR: 1.25), venous thromboembolism (aOR: 1.17), respiratory failure (aOR: 1.16), and intensive care unit stay (aOR: 1.18). No differences were found in mortality, length of stay, and health care utilization. CONCLUSIONS: Significant racial disparities in VPD hospitalization and in-hospital morbidity were found among adults with IBD in the United States. With the increasing prevalence of IBD in non-white populations, targeted efforts are needed to improve health equity.

Environmental Pollutants Are Associated With Irritable Bowel Syndrome in a Commercially Insured Cohort of California Residents.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Prior studies have linked environmental pollutants with gastrointestinal (GI) diseases. Here, we quantify the relationships between 7 pollutants and the zip code-level incidence of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), functional dyspepsia, inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs), and eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) in California. METHODS: Claims in Optum's Clinformatics Data Mart were linked with environmental exposures in California, derived from CalEnviroScreen 3.0. We identified adult patients with new diagnoses of each GI disease, and estimated claims-derived, zip code-level disease incidence rates. Two study periods were considered: 2009-2014 (International Classification of Diseases-Ninth Revision era) and 2016-2019 (International Classification of Diseases-Tenth Revision [ICD-10] era). Multivariable negative binomial regression models were used to test associations between 7 pollutants (ozone, particulate matter <2.5 µm [PM2.5], diesel emissions, drinking water contaminants, pesticides, toxic releases from industrial facilities, traffic density) and zip code-level incidence of the GI diseases along with a negative control outcome, adjusting for numerous potential confounders. RESULTS: Zip code-level IBS incidence was associated with PM2.5 (P < .001 in both eras) and airborne toxic releases from facilities (P < .001 in both eras). An increase of 1 µg/m3 in PM2.5 or 1% in toxic releases translates to an increase in the IBS incidence rate of about 0.02 cases per 100 person-years. Traffic density and drinking water contaminant exposures were also associated with increasing IBS incidence, but these associations were not significant in both eras. Similarly, exposure to PM2.5, drinking water contaminants and airborne toxic releases from facilities were associated with functional dyspepsia incidence, though not in both eras. No significant associations were noted between pollutants and IBD or EoE incidence. CONCLUSION: Exposure to PM2.5 and airborne toxic releases from facilities are associated with higher IBS incidence among a cohort of commercially insured Californians. Environmental pollutant exposure was not associated with the incidence of IBDs and EoE in this cohort.

The Impact of Patients' Primary Language on Inpatient Gastrointestinal Bleeding Outcomes.

BACKGROUND: The impact of English proficiency on gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB) outcomes remains unclear. In this analysis, we compare inpatient GIB outcomes between patients with English as their primary language (EPL) and those with a primary language other than English (PLOE). METHODS: Using the 2019 State Inpatient Databases for New Jersey, Maryland, and Michigan, we created an analysis cohort of GIB hospitalizations using International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision codes. Patients were stratified by primary language (EPL vs PLOE) and type of bleeding (variceal upper GI bleeding [VUGIB], nonvariceal upper GI bleeding [NVUGIB], and lower GI bleeding (LGIB)]. Regression analyses were used to compare mortality, 30-day readmissions, and length of stay. Adjusted odds ratios (aORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were reported. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: In the cohort, 5.5%-10% of the patients spoke a primary language other than English. Endoscopy utilization was lower among patients with PLOE vs EPL for NVUGIB (17.2% vs 21.2%, P < 0.001) and LGIB (26.3% vs 29.2%, P = 0.027). Patients with PLOE had higher odds of dying of VUGIB (aOR 1.45, 95% CI 1.16-2.48) and LGIB (aOR 1.71, 95% CI 1.22-2.12). Patients with PLOE were also more likely to be readmitted after NVUGIB (aOR 1.75, 95% CI 1.64-1.81). However, after controlling for the percentage of patients with PLOE discharged from each hospital, the disparities in mortality and readmissions were no longer detected. DISCUSSION: Disparities exist in GIB outcomes among patients with PLOE, but these gaps narrow at hospitals with higher percentages of patients with PLOE. Cultural and linguistic competence may improve outcomes in this vulnerable group.

Healthcare Disparities Among Homeless Patients Hospitalized With Gastrointestinal Bleeding: A Propensity-Matched, State-Level Analysis.

GOALS: Examine outcomes among homeless patients admitted with gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding, including all-cause mortality and endoscopic intervention rates. BACKGROUND: Hospitalizations among homeless individuals have increased steadily since at least 2007 but little is known about GI outcomes in these patients. STUDY: The 2010-2014 Healthcare Utilization Project (HCUP) State Inpatient Databases from New York and Florida were used to identify adults admitted with a primary diagnosis of acute upper or lower GI bleed. Homeless patients were 1:3 matched with nonhomeless patients using a propensity-score greedy-matched algorithm. The primary outcome (all-cause in-hospital mortality) and secondary outcomes (30-day readmission rates, endoscopy utilization, length of stay, and total hospitalization costs) were compared. RESULTS: We matched 4074 homeless patients with 12,222 nonhomeless patients. Most hospitalizations for homeless individuals were concentrated in 113 (26.4%) of 428 hospitals. Homeless adults were more likely to be younger, male, African American or Hispanic, and on Medicaid. They experienced significantly higher odds of all-cause inpatient mortality compared with nonhomeless patients admitted with GI bleeding (OR 1.37, 95% CI 1.11-1.69). Endoscopy utilization rates were also lower for both upper (OR 0.62, 95% CI 0.55-0.71) and lower (OR 0.76, 95% CI 0.68-0.85) GI bleeding, though upper endoscopy rates within the first 24 hours were comparable (OR 1.11, 95% CI 1.00-1.23). Total hospitalization costs were lower ($9,715 vs. $12,173, P <0.001) while 30-day all-cause readmission rates were significantly higher in the homeless group (14.9% vs. 18.4%, P <0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Homeless patients hospitalized for GI bleeding face disparities, including higher mortality rates and lower endoscopy utilization.

A nationwide study of liver disease hospitalizations during the coronavirus pandemic in the United States.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: The impact of the Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on patients with liver disease is not well described at the population level in the United States. We used the largest, nationwide inpatient dataset to describe inpatient liver disease outcomes in the United States during the first year of the pandemic (2020) using 2018 and 2019 as comparator years. METHODS: Using the National Inpatient Sample (2018-2020), we explored year-to-year and 2020 month-to-month trends in hospitalizations, length of stay, and inpatient mortality for liver-related complications including cirrhosis, alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) and alcoholic hepatitis using regression modeling. We reported relative change (RC) in the study period. RESULTS: Decompensated cirrhosis hospitalizations decreased in 2020 compared with 2019 (RC: -2.7%, P < 0.001) while all-cause mortality increased by 15.5% (P < 0.001). Hospitalizations for ALD increased compared with pre-pandemic years (RC: 9.2%, P < 0.001) with a corresponding increase in mortality in 2020 (RC 25.2%, P = 0.002). We observed an increase in liver transplant surgery mortality during the peak months of the pandemic. Importantly, mortality from COVID-19 was higher among patients with decompensated cirrhosis (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 1.72, 95% confidence interval [CI] [1.53-1.94]), Native Americans (OR 1.76, 95% CI [1.53-2.02]), and patients from lower socioeconomic groups. CONCLUSIONS: Cirrhosis hospitalizations decreased in 2020 compared with pre-pandemic years but were associated with higher all-cause mortality rates particularly in the peak months of the COVID-19 pandemic. In-hospital COVID-19 mortality was higher among Native Americans, patients with decompensated cirrhosis, chronic illnesses, and those from lower socioeconomic groups.

The Impact of Night-time Emergency Department Presentation on Upper Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage Outcomes.

GOALS: The aim was to investigate the impact of night-time emergency department (ED) presentation on outcomes of patients admitted for acute upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage (UGIH). BACKGROUND: The relationship between time of ED presentation and outcomes of gastrointestinal hemorrhage is unclear. STUDY: Using the 2016 and 2017 Florida State Inpatient Databases which provide times of ED arrival, we identified and categorized adults hospitalized for UGIH to daytime (07:00 to 18:59 h) and night-time (19:00 to 06:59 h) based on the time of ED presentation. We matched both groups with propensity scores, and assessed their clinical outcomes including all-cause in-hospital mortality, in-hospital endoscopy utilization, length of stay (LOS), total hospitalization costs, and 30-day all-cause readmission rates. RESULTS: Of the identified 38,114 patients with UGIH, 89.4% (n=34,068) had acute nonvariceal hemorrhage (ANVH), while 10.6% (n=4046) had acute variceal hemorrhage (AVH). Compared with daytime patients, ANVH patients admitted at night-time had higher odds of in-hospital mortality (odds ratio: 1.32; 95% confidence interval: 1.06-1.60), lower odds of in-patient endoscopy (odds ratio: 0.83; 95% confidence interval: 0.77-0.90), higher total hospital costs ($9911 vs. $9545, P <0.016), but similar LOS and readmission rates. Night-time AVH patients had a shorter LOS (5.4 vs. 5.8 d, P =0.045) but similar mortality rates, endoscopic utilization, total hospitalization costs, and readmission rates as daytime patients. CONCLUSIONS: Patients arriving in the ED at night-time with ANVH had worse outcomes (mortality, hospitalization costs, and endoscopy utilization) compared with daytime patients. However, those with AVH had comparable outcomes irrespective of ED arrival time.

Cytomegalovirus infection is associated with worse outcomes in inflammatory bowel disease hospitalizations nationwide.

BACKGROUND: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection may complicate ulcerative colitis (UC) or Crohn's disease (CD) hospitalizations. Studies examining this relationship are often single-center examining short time periods. AIMS: To quantify the prevalence of CMV and its impact on outcomes among UC and CD hospitalizations over time using nationwide administrative databases. METHODS: The National Inpatient Sample and Nationwide Readmissions Database were analyzed to calculate CMV prevalence per 1000 UC and CD hospitalizations between 1998 and 2014. Univariable and multivariable logistic and linear regression were used to assess CMV's association with outcomes. Separate analyses examined effects from the introduction of anti-TNF therapy in UC in 2005, CD anatomic extent, and Clostridioides difficile infection. RESULTS: Among UC, from 1998 to 2014, the prevalence of CMV infection rose from 1.4 to 6.3 per 1000 UC hospitalizations (p < 0.001), although this increase was not statistically significant for the years 2006 to 2014 (p = 0.07). Among CD, prevalence rose from 0.3 to 1.8 per 1000 CD hospitalizations (p < 0.001) from 1998 to 2014. CMV was independently associated with increased inpatient mortality (UC: odds ratio (OR) 2.3, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.2-4.5; CD: OR 4.6, CI 1.5-13.7), colectomy in UC (OR 2.5, CI 1.9-3.3), and higher length of stay and costs. CONCLUSION: CMV infection's prevalence among UC and CD hospitalizations is rising over time, but may have slowed after 2005 in UC. CMV is independently associated with increased inpatient mortality, length of stay, and hospital charges in UC and CD and with colectomy in UC.

Same- vs Different-Hospital Readmissions in Patients With Cirrhosis After Hospital Discharge.

INTRODUCTION: There is a lack of data on the impact of readmission to the same vs a different hospital following an index hospital discharge in cirrhosis patients. METHODS: We sought to describe rates and predictors of different-hospital readmissions (DHRs) among patients with cirrhosis and also determine the impact on cirrhosis outcomes including all-cause inpatient mortality and hospital costs. Using the national readmissions database, we identified cirrhosis hospitalizations in 2013. Regression analysis was used to determine the predictors of DHRs. A time-to-event analysis was performed to assess the impact on subsequent readmissions and all-cause inpatient mortality. RESULTS: In 2013, there were 109,039 cirrhosis readmissions with 67% of these being same-hospital readmissions and 33% being DHRs (P < 0.001). Two percent of readmitted patients were treated at ≥4 different hospitals. The 30-day readmission rate was 29.1%. Predictors of DHR included Medicaid payer (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 1.07, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.01-1.14), age (OR 0.98, 95% CI 0.978-0.982), elective admission (OR 1.09, 95% CI 1.01-1.17), hepatic encephalopathy (OR 1.20, 95% CI 1.16-1.25), hepatorenal syndrome (OR 1.09, 95% CI 1.03-1.16), and low socioeconomic status (OR 1.15, 95% CI 1.06-1.25). No difference was observed in 30-day readmission risk following a DHR (adjusted hazard ratio 1.044, 95% CI 0.975-1.118). In addition, there was no increased risk of inpatient death observed during a DHR within 30 days (adjusted hazard ratio 1.08, 95% CI 0.94-1.23). However, patients with DHR had significantly higher hospital costs and length of stay. CONCLUSIONS: Majority of cirrhosis readmissions are same-hospital readmissions. Different-hospital readmissions do not increase the risk of 30-day readmissions and inpatient mortality but are associated with higher hospital costs.

Endoscopic ultrasound for rectal cancer staging: A population-based study of utilization, impact on treatment patterns, and survival.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Optimal rectal cancer (RC) outcomes depend on accurate locoregional staging. The study sought to describe the impact of endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) on RC treatment patterns and survival. METHODS: Using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Medicare database, the study identified patients with RC between 2005 and 2007. The study excluded patients with stage IV disease, those not enrolled in Medicare parts A and B, those enrolled in managed care, and those staged with pelvic magnetic resonance imaging (because of low numbers). The study then compared outcomes between patients who received EUS and computed tomography of the abdomen and pelvis (CTAP) to those staged with CTAP alone after propensity score matching. RESULTS: Between 2005 and 2007, we identified 3,408 nonmetastatic RC patients. Compared with patients staged with CTAP alone, those who received EUS and CTAP were younger (median age: 75 vs 76 years, P < 0.0001), more likely men (57.6% vs 48.7%, P < 0.0001), with a lower Charlson comorbidity index (P < 0.0001). Predictors of EUS included socioeconomic status (highest vs lowest) (odds ratio [OR] 1.87, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.4-2.5), care by a gastroenterologist (OR 1.713, 95% CI 1.38-2.13), and care in a teaching hospital (OR 1.68, 95% CI 1.35-2.08). Receipt of neoadjuvant chemoradiation was higher in EUS-staged patients (50.3% vs 16.0%, P < 0.0001). EUS-staged patients had longer overall survival compared with those staged with CTAP alone (60 vs 57 months), but this was not statistically significant (P = 0.24). CONCLUSION: Endoscopic ultrasound in RC staging is associated with higher utilization of neoadjuvant chemoradiation without a significant difference in overall survival.

Secondary analysis of large databases for hepatology research.

Secondary analysis of large datasets involves the utilization of existing data that has typically been collected for other purposes to advance scientific knowledge. This is an established methodology applied in health services research with the unique advantage of efficiently identifying relationships between predictor and outcome variables but which has been underutilized for hepatology research. Our review of 1431 abstracts published in the 2013 European Association for the Study of Liver (EASL) abstract book showed that less than 0.5% of published abstracts utilized secondary analysis of large database methodologies. This review paper describes existing large datasets that can be exploited for secondary analyses in liver disease research. It also suggests potential questions that could be addressed using these data warehouses and highlights the strengths and limitations of each dataset as described by authors that have previously used them. The overall goal is to bring these datasets to the attention of readers and ultimately encourage the consideration of secondary analysis of large database methodologies for the advancement of hepatology.

African Americans Have Better Outcomes for Five Common Gastrointestinal Diagnoses in Hospitals With More Racially Diverse Patients.

OBJECTIVES: We sought to characterize the relationship between hospital inpatient racial diversity and outcomes for African-American patients including rates of major complications or mortality during hospitalization for five common gastrointestinal diagnoses. METHODS: Using the 2012 National Inpatient Sample database, hospital inpatient racial diversity was defined as the percentage of African-American patients discharged from each hospital. Logistic regression was used to predict major complication rates or death, long length of stay, and high total charges. Control variables included age, gender, payer type, patient location, area-associated income quartile, hospital characteristics including size, urban vs. rural, teaching vs. nonteaching, region, and the interaction of the percentage of African Americans with patient race. RESULTS: There were 848,395 discharges across 3,392 hospitals. The patient population was on average 27% minority (s.d.±21%) with African Americans accounting for 14% of all patients. Overall, African-American patients had higher rates of major complications or death relative to white patients (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.19; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.16-1.23). However, when treated in hospitals with higher patient racial diversity, African-American patients experienced significantly lower rates of major complications or mortality (aOR 0.80; 95% CI 0.74-0.86). CONCLUSIONS: African Americans have better outcomes for five common gastrointestinal diagnoses when treated in hospitals with higher inpatient racial diversity. This has major ramifications on total hospital charges.

Socioeconomic Inequalities in the Utilization of Colorectal Stents for the Treatment of Malignant Bowel Obstruction.

BACKGROUND: Colorectal stents are increasingly employed as a bridge to surgery or for palliative relief of malignant large bowel obstruction. AIM: To explore determinants of inpatient colorectal stent utilization (CRSU). METHODS: An analysis of the 2012 National Inpatient Sample was performed. International Classification of Diseases, 9th revision, codes were used to identify discharges associated with CRSU and patient/hospital factors for inclusion in a logistic regression model. RESULTS: We identified 217,055 inpatient colonoscopies, approximating 1.1 million inpatient colonoscopies nationwide. Colorectal stents were placed in 1.4 % of all procedures. Across all racial groups, Medicare was the most common payer. Patients with commercial insurance had lower CRSU compared with Medicare patients [adjusted odds ratio (OR) 0.83, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.75-0.92]. No gender disparities were identified (OR 0.96, 95 % CI 0.89-1.03). In addition, no racial differences in CRSU existed between Caucasians versus African-Americans (OR 0.94, 95 % CI 0.83-1.06) and Caucasians versus Hispanics (OR 0.96, 95 % CI 0.83-1.1). Compared with patients living in less affluent neighborhoods, those residing in more affluent areas had higher CRSU (OR 1.65, 95 % CI 1.46-1.86). This displayed a linear relationship with the odds of CRSU increasing as household income increased. Less affluent patients also had the highest total charges and longest wait time to CRSU. CRSU was highest among patients treated in larger medical centers (OR 1.7, 95 % CI 1.51-1.93) and teaching hospitals (OR 3.9, 95 % CI 3.2-4.8). CONCLUSION: Individuals from less affluent neighborhoods have lower colorectal stent utilization. This disparity is independent of race and likely related to poorer access to healthcare resources.

Cost-effectiveness of Prophylaxis Against Pneumocystis jiroveci Pneumonia in Patients with Crohn's Disease.

BACKGROUND: Emerging evidence suggests that Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia is occurring more frequently in Crohn's disease patients on immunosuppressive medications, especially corticosteroids. Considering its excess mortality and the efficacy of chemoprophylaxis in reducing P. jiroveci pneumonia in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, there is debate without consensus on the need for chemoprophylaxis in Crohn's disease patients on corticosteroids. AIMS: We sought to address this debate using insights from simulation modeling. METHODS: We used a Markov microsimulation model to simulate the natural history of Crohn's disease in 1 million virtual patients receiving appropriate care and who faced P. jiroveci pneumonia risks that varied with corticosteroid use. We examined several chemoprophylaxis strategies and compared their population-level economic and clinical impact using various indices including costs, quality-adjusted life expectancy, and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios. We also performed several nested probabilistic sensitivity analyses to estimate the health and economic impact of chemoprophylaxis in patients on triple immunosuppressive therapy. RESULTS: At the current PJP incidence, no PJP chemoprophylaxis was the preferred strategy from a population perspective. Considered chemoprophylactic strategies led to higher average costs and fewer P. jiroveci pneumonia cases. However, they also led to lower average quality-adjusted life expectancy and were thus dominated. Nevertheless, these alternative strategies became preferred with progressively higher risks of P. jiroveci pneumonia. Our results also suggest that PJP chemoprophylaxis may be cost-effective in patients on triple immunosuppressive therapy. CONCLUSION: Our findings support a case-by-case consideration of P. jiroveci pneumonia chemoprophylaxis in Crohn's disease patients receiving corticosteroids.

The Population-level Prevalence of Exocrine Pancreas Insufficiency and the Subsequent Risk of Pancreatic Cancer.

OBJECTIVES: To study the prevalence of exocrine pancreas insufficiency (EPI) at a population level and the subsequent risk of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). METHODS: Using TriNetX (a database of over 79 million US residents), we included patients ≥18 years with EPI (identified via ICD-10 codes) and continuous follow-up from 2016-2022. Patients with prior pancreas resection and PDAC before an EPI diagnosis were excluded. The primary outcome was EPI prevalence. Secondary outcomes included imaging utilization, PDAC risk and, pancreas enzyme replacement therapy (PERT) utilization. We performed 1:1 propensity score matching of patients with EPI vs. patients without an EPI diagnosis. Adjusted odds ratio (aOR) and hazard ratios (aHR) with 95% confidence intervals were reported. RESULTS: The population prevalence of EPI was 0.8% (n = 24,080) with a mean age of 55.6 years at diagnosis. After propensity score matching, PDAC risk among patients with EPI was twice as high compared to patients without EPI (AHR 1.97, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.66-2.36). This risk persisted even after excluding patients with a history of acute or chronic pancreatitis (aOR: 4.25, 95% CI 2.99-6.04). Only 58% (n = 13, 390) of patients with EPI received PERT with a mean treatment duration of 921 days. No difference was observed in PDAC risk between patients with EPI treated with PERT vs. those that did not receive PERT (AHR 1.10, 95% CI 0.95-1.26, p = 0.17). CONCLUSIONS: Despite a low prevalence, patients with EPI may have a higher risk of PDAC and many of these patients with EPI were not on PERT. PERT did not appear to impact incident PDAC risk after an EPI diagnosis.

Trends in gastrointestinal disease hospitalizations and outcomes during the first year of the coronavirus pandemic.

BACKGROUND: The impact of the coronavirus on hospitalizations for gastrointestinal (GI) disease, particularly at a population level is understudied. AIM: To investigate trends in hospitalizations, inpatient endoscopy resource utilization, and outcomes during the first year of the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent lockdowns. METHODS: Using the California State Inpatient Database for 2018-2020, we explored year-to-year and 2020 month-to-month trends in hospitalizations, length of stay, and inpatient mortality (all-cause & viral pneumonia-specific) for common inpatient GI diagnoses including acute pancreatitis, diverticulitis, cholelithiasis, non-infectious gastroenteritis, upper and lower GI bleeding (LGIB), Clostridium difficile, viral gastroenteritis, inflammatory bowel disease, and acute cholangitis. RESULTS: Disease-specific hospitalizations decreased for all included conditions except nonvariceal upper GI bleeding (NVUGIB), LGIB, and ulcerative colitis (UC) (ptrend < 0.0001). All-cause inpatient mortality was higher in 2020 vs 2019, for acute pancreatitis (P = 0.029), diverticulitis (P = 0.04), NVUGIB (P = 0.003), and Crohn's disease (P = 0.004). In 2020, hospitalization rates were lowest in April, November, and December. There was no significant corresponding increase in inpatient mortality except in UC (ptrend = 0.048). Viral pneumonia and viral pneumonia complicated by respiratory failure increased (P < 0.001) among GI hospitalizations. Endoscopy utilization within 24 h of admission was unchanged for GI emergencies except NVUGIB (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that hospitalization rates for common GI conditions significantly declined in California during the COVID pandemic, particularly in April, November and December 2020. All-cause mortality was significantly higher among acute pancreatitis, diverticulitis, NVUGIB, and Crohn's disease hospitalizations. Emergency endoscopy rates were mostly comparable between 2020 and 2019.

Gastroenterology Clinic Follow-Up Reduces Gastroenterology-Specific Readmissions Among Patients With Severe Ulcerative Colitis.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Readmission within 30 days occurs in up to 18% of admitted patients with ulcerative colitis (UC). The importance of postdischarge follow-up with a gastroenterologist as well as the optimal follow-up interval is unknown. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients with UC who were admitted to Stanford University Hospital between 2010 and 2020. We included adult patients with UC who were admitted for a UC flare. Patients with a colectomy during hospitalization or with Clostridium difficile infection at the index hospitalization were excluded. The primary outcome was time to readmission for a gastroenterology (GI) indication, and the primary predictor (time dependent) was follow-up with a GI provider. Patients were followed for 180 days after discharge. Data were analyzed using a Cox proportional hazards model. RESULTS: Of the 223 patients hospitalized with UC during the study period, 25% (n = 57) were readmitted within 180 days, with 13.9% occurring within 30 days. Early follow-up (within 7 days) was observed in 29% (n = 65) of patients, while 30-day follow-up was seen in 68.7% (n = 153), and follow-up within 180 days was seen in 198 (89%) patients. In the adjusted Cox proportional hazards model, GI follow-up was associated with fewer readmissions (hazard ratio, 0.42; 95% confidence interval, 0.22-0.81; P = .009). Early follow-up was strongly associated with a reduced risk of readmission (hazard ratio, 0.24; 95% 95% confidence interval, 0.09-0.69; P = .008). Follow-up in 7 days was associated with fewer readmissions (P < .0001). CONCLUSIONS: Outpatient GI follow-up after UC hospitalization reduces readmissions, with the greatest reduction occurring among patients followed up within 1 week of discharge.

In recently discharged ulcerative colitis patients, time to follow-up with a gastroenterologist was tightly related to the risk of readmission. Follow-up within 1 week offered the best protection. Efforts to improve postdischarge coordination are likely to improve quality.

The fragility of randomized placebo-controlled trials for irritable bowel syndrome.

BACKGROUND: The fragility index (FI) represents the number of participants whose status in a trial would have to change from a non-event (not experiencing the primary endpoint) to an event (experiencing the primary endpoint) in order to turn a statistically significant result into a non-significant result. We sought to evaluate the fragility indices of irritable bowel syndrome [IBS-mixed (IBS-M), IBS-constipation (IBS-C), & IBS-diarrhea (IBS-D)] trials. METHODS: Irritable bowel syndrome trials published in high-impact journals were identified from Medline. Trials had to be in adults, randomized, parallel-armed, with at least one statistically significant binary outcome, and an achieved primary endpoint of therapeutic efficacy. FI and correlation coefficients were calculated, and regression modeling used to identify predictors of a high FI. KEY RESULTS: Twelve trials were analyzed with a median FI of 6 (range: 0-38). Median sample size in all trials was 366 (range: 44-856). Trial publication year (p = 0.71), journal impact factor (p = 0.52), duration of study (p = 0.12), and number need to treat [NNT] (p = 0.29) were not predictive of a high FI. While a lower p-value correlated with a higher FI (p = 0.039), no correlation was noted between FI and impact factor (R = -0.20, p = 0.52), trial publication year (R = 0.12, p = 0.71), duration of trial (R = -0.46, p = 0.13), NNT (R = -0.34, p = 0.29), and sample size (R = 0.23, p = 0.5). The highest FI was in a Ramosetron trial (FI = 30) for IBS-D. CONCLUSION & INFERENCES: A median of six participants is needed to nullify results in the included IBS trials suggesting how easily statistical significance based on a threshold p-value may be overturned.

Determinants of Palliative Care Utilization Among Patients Hospitalized With Metastatic Gastrointestinal Malignancies.

BACKGROUND: Gastrointestinal tract cancers account for a significant proportion of the national cancer burden. AIM: We sought to explore patient- and hospital-level determinants of palliative care utilization among patients hospitalized with metastatic gastrointestinal tract cancers using a national database. METHODS: An analysis of the 2012 National Inpatient Sample was performed. International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision codes were used to identify hospital discharges associated with metastatic digestive tract cancers and patient/hospital covariates for inclusion in a logistic regression model. Total charges and length of stay were analyzed in a linear regression model. RESULTS: Compared to males, females were more likely to receive inpatient palliative care (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 1.12, P = .002). No difference was seen between white and Asian patients (adjusted OR 1.2, P = .11) or Native Americans patients (adjusted OR 1.4, P = .22). However, relative to white patients, African Americans (adjusted OR 1.13, P = .02) and Hispanics (adjusted OR 1.25, P = .001) had significantly higher odds of inpatient palliative care. Medicare patients were least likely to receive palliative care compared to those with Medicaid or commercial payers. Length of stay during these hospitalizations was longer in African Americans ( P = .0001), Asians ( P = .0001), and Native Americans ( P = .03) compared to white patients. No difference was seen when total charges were compared between white and African American patients ( P = .08). Conversely, total charges were higher in Hispanics ( P = .005) and Asians ( P = .001) relative to white patients. CONCLUSION: Gender and racial differences exist in utilization of inpatient palliative care among patients hospitalized with metastatic gastrointestinal tract cancers.