Table 4.

Characteristics of children with appendicitis operated laparoscopically or through open approach during 2012 in the United States.

Category	Laparoscopic appendectomy		Open appendectomy		No appendectomy		Significance
	N (95% CI)	Proportion	N (95% CI)	Proportion	N (95% CI)	Proportion
Gender
Male	40,404 (40,059–40,750)	75.6% (75.1%–76.0%)	10,044 (9,827–10,261)	18.8% (18.4%–19.2%)	3,011 (2,886–3,136)	5.6% (5.4%–5.9%)	p < 0.001
Female	27,985 (27,662–28,307)	76.7% (76.2%–77.2%)	6,183 (6,008–6,359)	17.0% (16.5%–17.4%)	2,307 (2,197–2,417)	6.3% (6.0%–6.6%)
Age groups
0-1 year	19 (8–29)	35.1% (21.6%–51.4%)	22 (11–33)	41.8% (27.4%–57.8%)	12 (4–20)	23.1% (12.4%–38.8%)	p < 0.003
1–5 years	4,146 (4,002–4,290)	60.8% (59.4%–62.2%)	1,858 (1,759–1,957)	27.2% (26.0%–28.5%)	815 (749–881)	11.9% (11.1%–12.9%)
6–10 years	16,451 (16,186–16,715)	70.7% (70.0%–71.4%)	5,336 (5,172–5,500)	22.9% (22.3%–23.6%)	1,471 (1,383–1,560)	6.3% (6.0%–6.7%)
11–15 years	23,466 (23,160–23,771)	78.7% (78.2%–79.3%)	4,640 (4,486–4,794)	15.6% (15.1%–16.1%)	1,694 (1,600–1,789)	5.7% (5.4%–6.0%)
16–20 years	24,310 (24,011–24,610)	81.0% (80.5%–81.5%)	4,371 (4,221–4,520)	14.6% (14.1%–15.0%)	1,325 (1,241–1,409)	4.4% (4.1%–4.7%)
Race/ethnicity
White	32,987 (32,656–33,317)	77.2% (76.7%–77.6%)	7,381 (7,193–7,569)	17.3% (16.8%–17.7%)	2,376 (2,264–2,487)	5.6% (5.3%–5.8%)	p < 0.004
Black	4,174 (4,027–4,320)	73.3% (71.9%–74.7%)	1,013 (939–1,088)	17.8% (16.6%–19.0%)	503 (451–556)	8.8% (8.0%–9.8%)
Hispanic	21,928 (21,644–22,212)	75.8% (75.2%–76.3%)	5,458 (5,296–5,619)	18.9% (18.3%–19.4%)	1,558 (1,468–1,648)	5.4% (5.1%–5.7%)
Others	9,302 (9,092–9,512)	74.1% (73.2%–75.0%)	2,375 (2,264–2,486)	18.9% (18.1%–19.7%)	880 (812–949)	7.0% (6.5%–7.6%)
Median household income for the patient ZIP code
1st quartile	18,020 (17,747–18,293)	72.6% (71.9%–73.2%)	5,358 (5,195–5,522)	21.6% (21.0%–22.2%)	1,456 (1,367–1,545)	5.9% (5.5%–6.2%)	p < 0.004
2nd quartile	15,635 (15,371–15,898)	73.9% (73.2%–74.6%)	4,268 (4,120–4,415)	20.2% (19.5%–20.8%)	1,251 (1,169–1,333)	5.9% (5.5%–6.3%)
3rd quartile	16,698 (16,430–16,966)	78.4% (77.7%–79.0%)	3,300 (3,171–3,430)	15.5% (14.9%–16.1%)	1,299 (1,217–1,382)	6.1% (5.7%–6.5%)
4th quartile	16,733 (16,471–16,994)	80.4% (79.7%–81.0%)	2,872 (2,752–2,992)	13.8% (13.3%–14.4%)	1,213 (1,133–1,293)	5.8% (5.5%–6.2%)
Insurance
Government	26,727 (26,413–27,041)	73.4% (72.8%–73.9%)	7,385 (7,195–7,575)	20.3% (19.8%–20.8%)	2,310 (2,200–2,420)	6.3% (6.1%–6.6%)
Private	34,229 (33,894–34,564)	78.0% (77.5%–78.5%)	7,196 (7,009–7,383)	16.4% (16.0%–16.8%)	2,458 (2,344–2,571)	5.6% (5.4%–5.9%)
Others	7,435 (7,243–7,626)	77.2% (76.2%–78.2%)	1,646 (1,551–1,741)	17.1% (16.2%–18.0%)	550 (495–605)	5.7% (5.2%–6.3%)
Urban vs. rural
Urban	59,492 (59,197–59,786)	77.7% (77.4%–78.1%)	12,495 (12,262–12,728)	16.3% (16.0%–16.6%)	4,556 (4,405–4,707)	6.0% (5.8%–6.2%)	p < 0.008
Rural	8,899 (8,720–9,078)	66.4% (65.5%–67.4%)	3,732 (3,603–3,861)	27.9% (26.9%–28.8%)	761 (697–826)	5.7% (5.2%–6.2%)
Hospital type
Children's hospital	12,484 (12,378–12,590)	84.8% (84.1%–85.5%)	852 (784–919)	5.8% (5.3%–6.3%)	1,388 (1,303–1,472)	9.4% (8.9%–10.0%)	p < 0.001
Non-children's hospital	55,906 (55,632–56,181)	74.3% (74.0%–74.7%)	15,375 (15,123–15,627)	20.4% (20.1%–20.8%)	3,930 (3,790–4,070)	5.2% (5.0%–5.4%)
Complicated vs. noncomplicated appendicitis
Complicated appendicitis	19,293 (19,012–19,575)	66.2% (65.6%–66.8%)	5,965 (5,791–6,138)	20.5% (19.9%–21.0%)	3,883 (3,742–4,024)	13.3% (12.9%–13.8%)	p < 0.0001
Noncomplicated appendicitis	49,098 (48,753–49,442)	80.8% (80.4%–81.1%)	10,262 (10,045–10,479)	16.9% (16.5%–17.2%)	1,435 (1,347–1,522)	2.4% (2.2%–2.5%)