Children who live in areas with fewer pediatricians are more likely to suffer life-threatening ruptures of the appendix than those in areas with more pediatricians, even when accounting for other factors such as the number of hospitals, imaging technology, insurance coverage and the number of surgeons in an area, according to a study from the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center. The study’s findings, based on an analysis of nearly 250,000 hospital records of children with appendicitis, are published online in the December issue of JAMA-Archives of Surgery.

For additional information:
http://www.hopkinschildrens.org/Children-in-Areas-with-Few-Pediatricians-at-Higher-Risk-for-Appendix-Ruptures.aspx