Outcomes Research in Hydrocephalus Treatment

Abstract

Hydrocephalus is a disorder where cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is unable to drain efficiently from the brain. This paper presents a set of exploratory analyses comparing attributes of inpatients under one-year old diagnosed with hydrocephalus provided by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) as part of the National Inpatient Sample (NIS). The general methods include calculation of summary statistics, kernel density estimation, logistic regression, linear regression, and the production of figures and charts using the statistical data modeling software, SAS. It was determined that younger infants show higher mortality rates; additionally, males are more likely to present hydrocephalus and cost slightly more on average than females despite the distribution curves for length of stay appearing virtually identical between genders. Diagnoses and procedures expected for non-hydrocephalic infants showed a negative correlation in the logistic model. The study overall validates much of the literature and expands it with a cost analysis approach.