Hospital charges for dental caries related emergency admissions.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this investigation was to develop and test a model for identifying hospital charges resulting from patient admissions through the emergency room of a children's hospital to manage pediatric nontraumatic dental disease.


METHODS
Model development involved data identification and collection at Children's Medical Center of Dallas, Texas. Its utility was tested in 4 children's hospitals across the United States.


RESULTS
The model proved effective in determining hospital charges for pediatric caries-related admissions. Diagnosis codes assigned at the time of admission were not specific enough to limit identification to nontraumatic dental admissions. Extensive review of patient records determined that only one-third of admitted patients identified by the model were caries-related admissions. Fifty-two children were identified who were admitted to the 5 children's hospitals in 1997 due to dental caries or its complications. Median hospital charge per admission was $3,223 and the total hospital charges for these 52 children was $250,000.


CONCLUSIONS
More specific ICD-9 diagnosis codes should be developed to identify these patients.
Ettelbrick
K L
KL
Dental Service, Children's Medical Center of Dallas, Texas, USA.
Webb
M D
MD
Seale
N S
NS
D000038:Abscess / Q000191:economics; D000293:Adolescent; D002481:Cellulitis / Q000191:economics; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003120:Colorado; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000191:economics*; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000191:economics*; D005568:Forms and Records Control; D017722:Hospital Charges; D006753:Hospital Records; D006776:Hospitals, Pediatric / Q000191:economics; D006786:Hospitals, Urban / Q000191:economics; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000191:economics; D018803:Models, Economic; D009059:Mouth Diseases / Q000191:economics; D009807:Odontogenic Cysts / Q000191:economics; D009820:Ohio; D009916:Orbital Diseases / Q000191:economics; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000191:economics*; D010510:Periodontal Diseases / Q000191:economics; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012793:Sialadenitis / Q000191:economics; D013781:Texas; D014861:Washington