Understanding the Burden of Pediatric Gastrointestinal Diseases—Does a Look From the Perspective of Inpatient Administrative Databases Help?

Gastrointestinal (GI) diseases affect millions of US residents each year; recent studies estimate 4.6 million hospitalizations and $142 billion per year in both direct and indirect health costs.1 Studies of the national burden of GI diseases, however, have not been specific to the pediatric population. Because the most common GI diseases in hospitalized children (acute diarrhea, appendicitis, general abdominal pain, esophageal disorders) are different from those of adults (gallbladder disease, diverticular disease, pancreatitis),2,3 the cost burden of GI diseases also is distinct in children.

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