The Burden of Appendicitis-Related Hospitalizations in the United States in 1997

Background: Acute appendicitis is among the most frequent causes of surgical abdominal disease worldwide.

Methods: Data from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample of the Healthcare Utilization Project were used to estimate the prevalence and disease burden of appendicitis-related hospitalizations in the United States in 1997. The data are a representative sample of discharge records from community hospitals drawn from 22 states in the United States.

Results: In the United States in 1997, there were an estimated 252,682 (95% CI: 242,957–262,407) appendicitis-related hospitalizations. The mean length of stay and total charges for appendicitis-related hospitalizations were four days (95% CI: 3.4–4.6) and $11,645 (95% CI: $11,299–$11,992) per hospitalization, respectively. Appendicitis-related hospitalizations associated with post-operative infection, peritoneal abscess, or peritonitis had longer average lengths of stay and higher average costs when compared to hospitalizations associated with local appendicitis without post-operative infection. Appendicitis cases among very young and older patients were more likely to be associated with peritoneal abscess, peritonitis, or post-operative infection.

Conclusions: In 1997, appendicitis-related hospitalizations accounted for 0.6% of all hospitalizations in the United States, resulting in approximately one million hospital days and $3 billion in hospital charges. Between 1984 and 1997, the rate of appendicitis hospitalizations in the U.S. population declined slightly, whereas the total number of hospital days remained unchanged.