SOCIOECONOMIC DISPARITIES IN HOSPITALIZATION AND OUTCOMES OF EOSINOPHILIC COLITIS: A FIVE-YEAR NATIONAL ANALYSIS

Abstract

Abstract BACKGROUND Eosinophilic colitis (EoC) is a rare gastrointestinal inflammation of the colon due to an altered hypersensitivity reaction characterized by eosinophilic infiltration into the colonic wall. Patients usually present with abdominal pain, diarrhea, and weight loss. METHODS We used the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database to conduct a retrospective study of hospitalized adult patients with eosinophilic colitis using the validated ICD-10 diagnosis codes between January 1, 2016, and December 31, 2020. RESULTS We identified 4353 cases of eosinophilic colitis using the NIS database. There were 748, 776, 889, 934, and 1,006 eosinophilic colitis cases diagnosed in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020 respectively. Males were more likely to be hospitalized due to eosinophilic colitis than females (51.8% vs. 48.2%). Moreover, there was a significantly higher prevalence of eosinophilic colitis among the white population, with 81.7% in Whites, 8.1% in Blacks, 6.3% in Hispanics, and 1.3% in Asians. 26.5% of those patients had Medicare, 15.7% had Medicaid, and 50.6% had private/HMO insurance. About 20.7% of patients had a median household income of $45,999 or less, 23.6% had $46,000-58,999, and 55.6% had $59,000 or more. Based on hospital location, 30.3% of the cases were in the South, 27.5% in the Midwest, 23.4% in the West, and 18.8% in the Northeast. The majority of patients admitted for eosinophilic colitis were recorded in urban teaching hospitals (77.8%) compared to 17.6% in urban nonteaching hospitals and 4.6% in rural areas. Only 16.5% of the patients with eosinophilic colitis had a Charlson Comorbidity Index of 3 or higher. CONCLUSION Based on the national inpatient sample over 5 years, males and whites are more likely to be hospitalized with eosinophilic. The report suggests that eosinophilic colitis is common among patients with high median household income and has a better prognosis.