Predictors of Hospitalization, Length of Stay, and Costs of Care Among Adult and Pediatric Inpatients With Atopic Dermatitis in the United States.

Abstract

Little is known about the risk factors of hospitalization for atopic dermatitis (AD). We sought to determine associations of hospitalization for AD in the United States. Data were analyzed from the 2002 to 2012 National Inpatient Sample. Atopic dermatitis hospitalizations were compared with controls, which included all hospitalizations without any diagnosis of AD excluding normal pregnancy/delivery, yielding a representative cohort of US hospitalizations. Both adults and children, who were admitted for AD or eczema, were more likely to have nonwhite race/ethnicity, lowest-quartile annual household income, Medicaid or no insurance, and fewer chronic conditions. Increased cost of care and prolonged length of stay were also associated with nonwhite race/ethnicities, lowest-quartile annual household income, Medicaid or no insurance, and having a higher number of chronic conditions. There are significant racial/ethnic and socioeconomic differences between patients hospitalized with AD versus without it, suggesting that there may be racial/ethnic and/or health care disparities in AD.