title: State-by-state variation in emergency versus elective colon resections: room for improvement.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Compared with elective surgical procedures, emergency procedures are associated with higher cost, morbidity, and mortality. This study seeks to investigate potential state-by-state variations in the incidence of emergent versus elective colon resections.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective analysis of all adult patients (aged ≥18 years) included in the Nationwide Inpatient Sample from 2005 to 2009 who underwent hemicolectomy (right or left) or sigmoidectomy was conducted. Discharge-level weights were applied, and generalized linear models were used to assess the odds of a patient undergoing emergent versus elective colon surgery nationally and for each state after adjusting for patient and hospital factors. Odds ratios (ORs) were estimated with the national average as the reference.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The final study cohort included 203,050 observations composed of 83,090 emergent and 119,960 elective colectomies. The state with the highest unadjusted proportion of emergent procedures was Nevada (53.6%), whereas Texas had the lowest (22.8%) [corrected]. Compared with the national average, the adjusted odds of undergoing emergency colectomy remained highest in Nevada (OR, 1.70; 95% confidence interval, 1.54-1.87) and lowest in Texas (OR, 0.43; 95% confidence interval, 0.36-0.51).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Substantial state variations exist in rates of emergency colon surgery within the United States. Identification of these differences suggests significant variations in practice and a potential to decrease the number of emergent colon operations.
authors.affiliation: Outcomes Research Center, Department of Surgery, Howard University College of Medicine, Washington, District of Columbia, USA.
authors.forename: Augustine C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Obirieze
authors.forename: Mehreen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kisat
authors.forename: Caitlin W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Hicks
authors.forename: Tolulope A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Oyetunji
authors.forename: Eric B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Schneider
authors.forename: Darrell J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Gaskin
authors.forename: Elliott R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Haut
authors.forename: David T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Efron
authors.forename: Edward E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Cornwell
authors.forename: Adil H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Haider
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003082:Colectomy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003106:Colon / Q000601:surgery; D012809:Colon, Sigmoid / Q000601:surgery; D017558:Elective Surgical Procedures / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004630:Emergencies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D014481:United States; D055815:Young Adult