Socioeconomic disparities in ostomy reversal among older adults with diverticulitis are more substantial among non-Hispanic Black patients

The Experiences of Black Men Who Survived a Gunshot Wound and Were Treated With a Colostomy

In the United States, rates of fatal and nonfatal firearm injuries differ substantially by race and sex, with Black men being more likely than any other group to be shot. Many people who survive a gunshot wound have complex physical, psychological, and social challenges during their recovery. Public health programs, including hospital-based violence intervention programs (HVIPs), have been designed to reduce the likelihood of reinjury for their participants and to support their well-being. However, little is known about how Black men who survive a gunshot wound and receive care from these programs conceptualize the best ways to support their healing and the barriers they experience in achieving their health-related goals. This case study, drawing from ethnographic research conducted during 2013-2023 at the second busiest HVIP in Maryland, examines the experiences of 6 Black men who were treated with a colostomy after surviving a gunshot wound. Emergent themes included increased psychological stress from being treated with a colostomy and wearing a waste collection pouch, disruptions to everyday life, and insufficient access to colostomy care and education. The findings from this case study highlight the importance of providing access to psychological services, colostomy education, and health care supplies to meet the needs of HVIP participants and improve health outcomes for this population.

General surgeon workforce density is not associated with treatment-incidence ratios at the county or hospital service area level in North Carolina

BACKGROUND

General Surgeon Workforce Density (WFD) is used to approximate surgical access. Treatment-incidence ratios (TIR) provide a novel measure of care access. TIR's association with General Surgeon WFD has not been evaluated.

STUDY DESIGN

Retrospective cohort study of North Carolina inpatient discharges (2016-2019). The association between county and Hospital Service Area (HSA) TIRs for general surgical diseases was analyzed using adjusted linear and logistic regression.

RESULTS

When adjusting for pertinent covariates, county General Surgeon WFD and TIR (-0.0009, 95 ​% CI -0.028,0.026; p 0.95) and HSA General Surgeon WFD and TIR (0.008, 95 ​% CI -0.021,0.037; p ​0.58) were not statistically significantly associated. The odds of a county 0.91 (95 ​% CI 0.42,1.97; p 0.82) or HSA (OR 0.93, 95 ​% CI 0.43,2.04; p 0.86) having a high TIR was not associated with WFD.

CONCLUSION

General Surgeon WFD is not associated with disease-specific procedural rates of common surgical conditions at the county or HSA level.

Neighborhood Socioeconomic Deprivation and 30-Day Outcomes After Admission for Common Gastrointestinal Conditions: A Large Nationwide Study

Background and Aims

To study the associations of neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage with 30-day mortality and readmission for common gastrointestinal conditions, adjusting for individual demographics, comorbidities, access to health-care resources, and treatment facility characteristics.

Methods

We analyzed a nationwide sample of United States Medicare beneficiaries hospitalized from 2017 to 2019 for common gastrointestinal diseases, grouped by diagnosis-related groups. We then estimated the association of neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage, measured by the Area Deprivation Index, with 30-day mortality and readmission utilizing logistic regression models with restricted cubic splines. We performed multistep adjustments for individual socioeconomic status and demographics, medical comorbidities, access to inpatient and outpatient health-care resources, and hospital-level characteristics.

Results

In total, 1,293,483 patients in the mortality cohort and 1,289,106 patients in the readmission cohort were included in analysis. The fully adjusted model demonstrated an association between neighborhood deprivation and 30-day mortality for patients with common gastrointestinal diseases, with the strongest associations for nonmalignant pancreatic disorders (odds ratio [OR] 1.59, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.25-2.01), esophageal disorders (OR 1.50, 95% 1.02-2.21), gastrointestinal hemorrhage (OR 1.40, 95% CI 1.29-1.52), and biliary tract disorders (OR 1.40, 95% CI 1.16-1.69) in the most deprived groups. Neighborhood deprivation was not associated with 30-day readmission after full adjustment.

Conclusion

We describe an independent association between neighborhood deprivation and 30-day mortality for patients with common gastrointestinal diseases, which remains even after controlling for individual poverty, demographics and comorbidities, access to health-care resources, and characteristics of treating facilities.

Social Determinants of Health in Diverticulitis: A Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

There is growing interest in social determinants of health for surgical populations. Within diverticulitis, no systematic collation of available evidence has been performed.

OBJECTIVE

To assess frequency, variety, and association directions for social determinants of health in colonic diverticular disease.

DATA SOURCES

Four electronic databases were queried: PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, and Web of Science.

STUDY SELECTION

Included studies reported symptomatic left-sided colonic diverticular disease with respect to a social determinant of health according to the Healthy People 2030 initiative or applicable proxy variable. Studies with non-English full text, cohort size less than 50, pediatric cohorts, and exclusively non-left-sided disease were excluded.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Quality assessment using the modified Newcastle-Ottawa Scale, frequency of variables reported, and effect size trends for common comparisons.

RESULTS

Among 50 included studies, 40 were good and 10 were fair in quality. Social determinants of health in diverticulitis were identified across economic stability, education access and quality, health care access and quality, neighborhood and built environment, and social and community context domains. The 2 most common variables were self-reported race and ethnicity (n = 33) and insurance (n = 22). Among 18 unique studies reporting comparisons of White versus any other self-reported race and ethnicity, 12 identified a disparity disadvantaging non-White groups with effect sizes (95% CI ranging from 1.23 [1.10-1.37] to 5.35 [1.32-21.61]). Among 15 unique studies reporting a nonprivate versus private insurance comparison, 9 identified nonprivate insurance as a risk factor with effect sizes (95% CIs) ranging from 1.15 (1.02-1.29) to 3.83 (3.01-4.87).

LIMITATIONS

Retrospective studies, heterogeneity across cohorts, and variable definitions.

CONCLUSIONS

Social determinants of health domains are associated with a variety of diverticulitis outcomes. Additional studies are needed to address infrequently reported domains and identify optimal strategies for intervening in clinical settings.

PROSPERO ID

CRD42023422606.

Diverticulitis in the Under-40 Population

BACKGROUND

As obesity and lifestyle factors become more prevalent in younger populations, we are diagnosing and treating diverticulitis in younger patients. In this study, the demographics, risk factors for the development, and treatment of acute diverticulitis were assessed focusing on patients under the age of 40.

METHODS

A retrospective review of the electronic medical records of a cohort of subjects diagnosed with diverticulitis was performed. Inclusion criteria included patients aged 18-40 who were treated for acute diverticulitis with or without any complications.

RESULTS

Of the 109 patients, 40 patients required surgery, and 69 patients were managed conservatively. Analysis showed that the Hinchey classification (p<0.001) was the strongest predictor of treatment modality.

CONCLUSIONS

As the incidence of diverticulitis has increased in recent decades, so too has the frequency with which elective surgical procedures are performed as treatment. While these procedures are vital components in the management of diverticulitis, the majority of research comparing conservative versus surgical treatments has been done in patients over 50 years old. Although diverticulitis has been classically thought of as a disease of the elderly, it has become more prevalent in younger populations due to the rise of obesity and lifestyle modification in the under-40 population. Although the prevalence of treatment and diagnosis of acute diverticulitis in younger patients has risen, there is a paucity of data surrounding treatment protocols for diverticulitis in association with patient symptoms for patients under the age of 40 years old. Our study has found that there is a higher incidence of complications in diverticulitis in patients under the age of 40. Additionally, when considering the pattern of complication presentation in younger patients with complicated diverticulitis, surgical intervention might not be appropriate. The current treatment algorithm relates diverticulitis complications with surgical interventions. However, our data suggest that patients under the age of 40 presenting with abscesses or strictures may not need surgical intervention. This information could be particularly helpful in guiding physicians and younger patients in selecting the best choice of care and minimizing complications. Additionally, further research should help guide treatment protocol in this specific population of patients, as there is a lack of established guidelines pertaining to diverticulitis surrounding younger patients.

A National Inpatient Sample Analysis of Racial Disparities After Segmental Colectomy for Inflammatory Colorectal Diseases

BACKGROUND

Racial disparities and poor access to care are common among African Americans (AA), potentially adversely affecting surgical outcomes in inflammatory bowel conditions. We aimed to analyze the effect of race on outcomes in patients undergoing segmental colectomy for inflammatory bowel conditions.

METHODS

Retrospective review of data from the National Inpatient Sample between 2010 and 2015 identified patients who underwent segmental colectomy without ostomy for Crohn's or diverticular disease. AA patients were compared with Caucasians using a multivariable analysis model. Primary outcomes of interest were overall complications, mortality, and extended hospital stay.

RESULTS

38,143 admissions were analyzed; AA patients constituted 8% of the overall cohort. Diagnoses included Crohn's (11%) and diverticular disease (89%). After multivariable analysis, AA patients had significantly higher overall risk of complications (OR = 1.27; 95% CI, 1.15-1.40) and extended hospital stay (OR = 1.59; 95% CI, 1.45-1.75) than Caucasians. On bivariate analysis, there was no significant difference in mortality between AA and Caucasian patients. AA patients had significantly higher rates of Medicaid insurance (14% vs 6%, P < .001), lower rates of private insurance (35% vs 47%, P < .001), and were less likely to undergo surgery at a private hospital (31% vs 41%, P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

AA patients requiring segmental colectomy for inflammatory colorectal conditions experience significantly higher rates of postoperative complications, longer hospital stays, and lower rates of private insurance. Direct correlation between insurance status and postoperative outcomes could not be established, but we speculate such great disparity in outcomes may stem from these socioeconomic differences.

Is the Hartmann's procedure for diverticulitis obsolete? National trends in colectomy for diverticulitis in the emergency setting from 1993 to 2018

BACKGROUND

Historically, Hartmann's procedure (HP) has been the operation of choice for diverticulitis in the emergency setting. However, recent evidence has demonstrated the safety of primary anastomosis (PA) with or without diverting ileostomy. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the trends of, and factors associated with, HP compared to PA in emergency surgery for diverticulitis over 25 years.

METHODS

Using the National Inpatient Sample database, we identified adult patients ≥ 18 years old who underwent emergency surgery for diverticulitis (HP or PA) between 1993 and 2018 using ICD-9 and ICD-10 codes. Patients with inflammatory bowel disease, gastrointestinal cancer or who underwent elective diverticulitis surgery were excluded. Trends in HP were analyzed using multivariable linear regression, and factors associated with HP were assessed with multiple logistic regression.

RESULTS

Of 499,433 patients who underwent colectomy in the emergency setting for acute diverticulitis, 271,288 (54.3%) had a HP and 228,145 (45.7%) had a PA. Median age was 61 years (IQR: 50-73), 53% were women, and 70.5% were white. The proportion of HP slightly increased over the study period-HP comprised 52.6% of included cases in 1993-98 and 55.2% of cases in 2014-2018 (p = 0.017). Advanced age (reference = 18-44 years; 45-54 years: OR 1.16, 95% CI 1.10-1.22; 55-64 years: OR 1.26, 95% CI 1.20-1.33; 65-74 years: OR 1.33, 95% CI 1.25-1.42; ≥ 75 years: OR 1.51, 95% CI 1.41-1.62), complicated diverticulitis (OR 1.41, 95% CI 1.36-1.46), and severity of illness (reference = minor; moderate: OR 1.46, 95% CI 1.38-1.54; major/extreme: OR 3.43, 95% CI 3.25-3.63) were associated with increased odds of HP.

CONCLUSIONS

Over a 26-year period, HP has remained the most performed procedure in the emergency setting for diverticulitis. Future work should focus on knowledge translation with a possible change in practice as more randomized controlled trials provide support for PA.