Pediatricians, appendix ruptures linked

BALTIMORE, Jan. 3 (UPI) -- Areas with fewer pediatricians have higher rates of appendix ruptures in children, U.S. researchers say.

Dr. Fizan Abdullah of The Johns Hopkins Children's Center in Baltimore factored in the availability of hospitals, emergency room doctors, surgeons, imaging services and insurance coverage. The statistical analysis also accounted for age, gender, household income and race. The number of area doctors specializing in child care was more important than any other factor.

"Our analysis shows that the most potent predictor of outcome in children with appendicitis was the number of pediatricians available in an area, emphasizing the pivotal role they play as the point of first contact in the care of a sick child," Abdullah, the lead investigator for the study, said in a statement.

The study, published online in the Journal of the American Medical Association -- Archives of Surgery, found the ruptured appendix rate was 12 percent higher in geographical areas with fewest pediatricians versus areas with most pediatricians. Hospitalization due to perforated appendix was twice as long as hospitalization for uncomplicated appendicitis, doubling the cost of care -- from $10,385 to $20,581, on average.

Abdullah and colleagues looked at 241,301children -- 77,097 of whom had a diagnosis of a ruptured appendix.