TOPLINE:

Pediatric dermatology hospitalizations accounted for 2.3% of US pediatric admissions in 2022, down from 4.2% in 2012, with nearly $450 million in total costs; socioeconomic and racial disparities, however, remained significant.

METHODOLOGY:

• The researchers conducted a cross-sectional study using the 2022 Kids’ Inpatient Database, involving 1,312,198 pediatric hospitalizations (48% White, 24% Hispanic, and 18% Black).
• Researchers excluded admissions for pregnancy, childbirth, routine newborn care, and cases where skin disease appeared only as a secondary diagnosis.
• The primary outcomes were the national burden of pediatric dermatology hospitalizations, demographic and socioeconomic risk factors, and financial costs; the secondary outcome was in-hospital mortality.

TAKEAWAY:

• A total of 29,766 pediatric dermatology hospitalizations occurred in 2022 (2.3% of all pediatric admissions compared to 4.2% reported in 2012), generating $449.3 million in national costs.
• Age 2-5 years, Asian/Pacific Islander race, Native American race, Hispanic ethnicity, lowest income quartile, and Medicaid coverage were associated with higher odds of admission.
• The median length of stay for dermatology admissions was 2 days, and the median cost per admission was $6728, both lower than nondermatology admissions (3 days and $7965, respectively). In-hospital mortality was lower for dermatologic vs nondermatologic conditions (0.1% vs 0.5%).
• Bacterial infection and infestation was the most common condition associated with admissions (19,326 cases), followed by connective tissue disorders (3875 cases) and viral diseases (2721 cases). Despite lower case numbers, cutaneous lymphomas (766 cases) and congenital skin abnormalities (232 cases) incurred the highest mean costs per admission, at $100,573 and $45,521, respectively.

IN PRACTICE:

“The national burden of inpatient pediatric dermatology has decreased over the past decade, yet disparities by socioeconomic status, payer, and region remain,” the authors wrote. “Interventions to expand outpatient access, particularly for underserved populations, are likely to reduce preventable hospitalizations and address persistent inequities in care,” they added.

SOURCE:

The study was led by Shiv Patel, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, and Aayush Shah, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, and was published online on February 13 in Pediatric Dermatology.

LIMITATIONS:

The study relied on administrative coding, which could be affected by misclassification. It excluded secondary dermatologic diagnoses and outpatient data, and the cross-sectional design precluded longitudinal assessment. The COVID pandemic may have influenced admission patterns.

DISCLOSURES:

The study did not receive any funding. One author disclosed owning stocks and receiving royalties, research grants, funding, speaker fees, consulting fees, and advisory fees from the National Eczema Association and several companies, including AbbVie, Arcutis, Eli Lilly, Galderma, Hyphens Pharma, Incyte, Codex, Concerto Biosciences, and Yobee Care. The other authors reported having no conflicts of interest.

This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.