Racial disparities in cholecystectomy rates during hospitalizations for acute gallstone pancreatitis: a national survey.
BACKGROUND
Practice guidelines advocate performing cholecystectomy for acute gallstone pancreatitis during the same hospitalization stay. Our objectives were to determine nationwide rates of adherence to these guidelines in the United States and whether this varied with race and ethnicity.


METHODS
We queried the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) to identify admissions for acute gallstone pancreatitis between 1998 and 2003. We calculated overall and race-specific proportions of patients who underwent cholecystectomy or endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) prior to discharge. We used multivariate analysis to determine racial effects while adjusting for age, comorbidity, health insurance payer, and hospital factors.


RESULTS
The overall rate of cholecystectomy was 51% and that of either cholecystectomy or ERCP was 62%. Cholecystectomy rates were lower among African Americans (AAs) and Asians compared to Whites (44% and 43%, respectively, vs 50%, P < 0.001). After multivariate adjustment, the odds of cholecystectomy was lower in AAs (OR 0.68, 95% CI 0.63-0.73) and Asians/Pacific Islanders (OR 0.75, 95% CI 0.65-0.87) relative to Whites, while rates were modestly higher among Hispanics (OR 1.12, 95% CI 1.03-1.22). AAs were less likely to receive ERCP than Whites (OR 0.71, 95% CI 0.65-0.78). In contrast, Asians/Pacific Islanders (OR 1.40, 95% CI 1.16-1.69) and Hispanics (OR 1.19, 95% CI 1.09-1.29) were more likely to receive ERCP than Whites.


CONCLUSIONS
Despite practice guidelines, about only half of admissions for gallstone pancreatitis receive cholecystectomy during the same hospitalization, and cholecystectomy rates vary substantially by race. These findings raise concerns regarding suboptimal healthcare delivery.
Nguyen
Geoffrey C
GC
Mount Sinai Hospital, University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Tuskey
Anne
A
Jagannath
Sanjay B
SB
D000208:Acute Disease; D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002760:Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002763:Cholecystectomy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D042882:Gallstones / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000601:surgery*; D054625:Healthcare Disparities; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000601:surgery*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data