Cost and consultation patterns of abdominal pain in Uruguayan children.
BACKGROUND
Children with abdominal pain (AP) have worse quality of life and poorer social functioning and school attendance than their healthy peers. This is the first investigation of consultation patterns and costs of AP in South American children.


METHODS
All data were collected from Unidad Coronaria Movil in Montevideo, Uruguay. Diagnoses of all house calls during a 4-year period (January 2002 through December 2005) were analyzed. Variances in consultation patterns based on sex and age were investigated. Supply and personnel costs were analyzed and prorated to obtain an accurate estimate of the cost per house call and outpatient visit.


RESULTS
A total of 125,945 in-home visits and 1588 outpatient consultations were analyzed. Consultation rates for AP peaked among patients 7 to 9 years of age. Female subjects 9 to 14 years of age consulted significantly more frequently for AP than male subjects in the same age group. The average AP consultation accounted for approximately 3.8% of the per capita health care spending in Uruguay in 2005.


CONCLUSIONS
AP is a global health problem that is present across ethnicities, nationalities, and geographic locations and is associated with significant health care expenditure.
Saps
Miguel
M
Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Children's Memorial Hospital, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60614, USA. msaps@childrensmemorial.org
Bolioli
Pablo
P
Espana
Magali
M
Marshall
Beth M
BM
Di Lorenzo
Carlo
C
D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology; D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D005260:Female; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006792:House Calls; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000191:economics*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012737:Sex Factors; D014583:Uruguay