TABLE 1.
Patient Characteristics per GER Medication Use
| No GER Medication | GER Medication | P | NICU Initiation | Outpatient Initiation | P | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total (n = 2217) | 1405 (63%) | 812 (37%) | 185 (23%) | 627 (77%) | ||
| Gestational age category (wk) | <.0001 | <.0001 | ||||
| <28 | 79 (6%) | 103 (13%) | 46 (25%) | 57 (9%) | ||
| 28–<32 | 211 (15%) | 226 (28%) | 82 (44%) | 144 (23%) | ||
| 32–<34 | 311 (22%) | 174 (21%) | 27 (15%) | 147 (23%) | ||
| 34–35 | 804 (57%) | 309 (38%) | 30 (16%) | 279 (45%) | ||
| Race/ethnicity | <.0001 | <.0001 | ||||
| White | 522 (37%) | 432 (53%) | 83 (45%) | 349 (56%) | ||
| Black | 677 (48%) | 276 (34%) | 91 (49%) | 185 (30%) | ||
| Asian | 39 (3%) | 12 (1%) | 1 (<1%) | 11 (2%) | ||
| Other/unknown | 167 (12%) | 92 (11%) | 10 (5%) | 82 (13%) | ||
| Hispanic | 77 (5%) | 29 (4%) | .10 | 4 (2%) | 25 (4%) | .15 |
| Male | 705 (50%) | 422 (52%) | .42 | 106 (57%) | 316 (50%) | .10 |
| Multiple gestation | 373 (27%) | 325 (40%) | <.0001 | 68 (37%) | 257 (41%) | .30 |
| Insurance group | .003 | <.0001 | ||||
| Private | 568 (40%) | 388 (48%) | 66 (36%) | 322 (51%) | ||
| Any Medicaid | 557 (40%) | 274 (34%) | 90 (49%) | 184 (29%) | ||
| Any self-pay | 280 (20%) | 150 (18%) | 29 (16%) | 121 (19%) | ||
| Medical factors | ||||||
| Chronic lung disease | 26 (2%) | 75 (9%) | <.0001 | 36 (19%) | 39 (6%) | <.0001 |
| Failure to thrive | 35 (2%) | 65 (8%) | <.0001 | 20 (11%) | 45 (7%) | .12 |
| Aspiration | 8 (<1%) | 20 (2%) | <.0001 | 11 (6%) | 9 (1%) | .002 |
| Airway malacia | 10 (<1%) | 39 (5%) | <.0001 | 13 (7%) | 26 (4%) | .12 |
| Feeding difficulties | 338 (24%) | 212 (26%) | .28 | 31 (17%) | 181 (29%) | .0001 |
| Dysphagia | 0 | 10 (1%) | <.0001 | 8 (4%) | 2 (<1%) | .0002 |
| ALTE/apnea | 134 (10%) | 202 (25%) | <.0001 | 84 (45%) | 118 (19%) | <.0001 |
| Tube feeding | 0 | 21 (3%) | <.0001 | 14 (8%) | 7 (1%) | <.0001 |
| Supplemental oxygen | 10 (<1%) | 34 (4%) | <.0001 | 17 (9%) | 17 (3%) | .0005 |
| Fundoplication | 1 (<1%) | 5 (<1%) | .03 | 4 (2%) | 1 (<1%) | .01 |
| Reactive airway disease | 115 (8%) | 141 (17%) | <.0001 | 42 (23%) | 99 (16%) | .03 |