Prevalence of and Spending on Ear, Nose, Throat, and Respiratory Infections Among Children With Chronic Complex Conditions

Peter J. Dunbar*, Sarah A. Sobotka, Jonathan Rodean, Christian D. Pulcini, Michelle L. Macy, Joanna Thomson, Debbi Harris, Ryan J. Coller, Anna Desmarais, Matthew Hall, Jay G. Berry

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

Objective: Ear, nose, throat, and respiratory infections (ENTRI) may affect children with complex chronic conditions (CCC) differently than their peers. We compared ENTRI prevalence and spending in children with and without CCCs. Methods: Retrospective analysis of 3,880,456 children ages 0-to-18 years enrolled in 9 US state Medicaid programs in 2018 contained in the IBM Watson Marketscan Database. Type and number of CCCs were distinguished with Feudtner's system. ENTRI prevalence, defined as ≥1 healthcare encounters for ENTRI, and Medicaid spending on ENTRI were compared by CCC using chi-square tests and logistic regression. Results: ENTRIs were greater in children with vs. without a CCC (57.7% vs 43.5% [P < .001]). Children with a CCC (5.5%, n = 213,425) accounted for nearly one-fourth ($145.8 million [US]) of total spending on ENTRI. Aside from throat and sinus infection, ENTRI prevalence increased with number of CCCs (P < .001). For example, as number of CCCs increased from zero to ≥3, lower-airway infection increased from 12.5% to 37.5%, P < .001 (OR 4.10; 95% CI 3.95–4.26). ENTRI spending attributable to inpatient care increased from 9.7% to 92.8% (P < .001) as the number of CCCs increased from zero to ≥3. Conclusion: Most children with a CCC pursued care for ENTRI in 2018 and these children accounted for a disproportionate share of ENTRI spending. Children with multiple CCCs had a high prevalence of lower-airway infection; most of their ENTRI spending was for inpatient care. Providers can use these findings to counsel patients and families and to inform future investigations on how best to manage ENTRI in children with CCCs.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)434-440
Number of pages7
JournalAcademic Pediatrics
Volume23
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 2023

Funding

Funding: Supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) (UA6MC31101 to JB, MH and JR); The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) (K23-HD097276 to SS); the Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disorders Training Program (LEND) (T73-MC11047 to SS); the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) (K08-HS025138 to JT). Role of Funder: Neither the HRSA, HHS, LEND, AHRQ nor the NIH had any role in 1) study design, 2) the collection, analysis and interpretation of data, 3) the writing of the report, and 4) the decision to submit the paper for publication. Funding: Supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) (UA6MC31101 to JB, MH and JR); The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) (K23-HD097276 to SS); the Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disorders Training Program (LEND) (T73-MC11047 to SS); the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) (K08-HS025138 to JT).

Keywords

  • acute illness
  • children
  • chronic conditions
  • respiratory infections

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Pediatrics, Perinatology, and Child Health

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