Comparison of pediatric hospitalization using the pediatric appropriateness evaluation protocol at three diverse hospitals in Louisiana.

The purpose of this study was to compare the number of inappropriate pediatric admissions and hospital days in three hospitals in Louisiana using Pediatric Appropriateness Evaluation Protocol (PAEP) criteria. The hospitals studied included an urban, nontertiary care, teaching hospital with 20 inpatient, pediatric beds (A); a private, tertiary care hospital with 30 beds (B); and a tertiary care, regional referral center with 133 pediatric beds (C). The study prospectively observed all nonintensive care pediatric admissions (> six months of age) between May 1 and June 30, 1993. Admissions and subsequent hospital days were labeled as appropriate or inappropriate based on PAEP criteria. A significantly shorter hospital stay (days) was demonstrated at hospital C (4.41 +/- 1.01, p < .05) compared to A (5.98 +/- 4.95) or B (5.78 +/- 1.21). Similarly, hospital B had significantly more patients admitted electively (19%, p < .05) compared to A (4%) or C (15%). The percentage of inappropriate admissions for hospitals A, B, and C were 11.0, 10.0, and 2.0 (p < .05) and hospital days 18.0, 22.0, and 12.0 (p < .05), respectively. A significant proportion of inappropriate hospital days came from trauma admissions in hospital A (18%, p < .05) and elective admissions in hospital B (36%, p < .05). Hospital A had 99% of patients with either Medicaid or uninsured payor status compared to 35% and 84% at hospital B and C, respectively. Significant differences in the rate of inappropriate admission or subsequent hospital days were demonstrated in the three hospitals studied. Finally, the rates of inappropriate hospitalization demonstrated in this study of Louisiana hospitals were similar to previous studies using the PAEP in other regions.