Key safety outcomes for hospitalized children vary by race

Black, Hispanic and poor children were more likely to experience adverse safety events while hospitalized, a Pediatrics study found. Black patients had the largest disparity in postoperative sepsis, while Hispanic patients had the largest disparity in postoperative respiratory failure. Those on Medicaid were more likely to experience hemorrhage, sepsis, respiratory failure and central venous catheter-related bloodstream infections. The authors cite structural racism, clinician bias, insufficient cultural responsiveness, communication barriers and/or impaired access to high quality and timely health care as plausible explanations for the disparities. They plan to conduct qualitative interviews and design and test interventions to improve health equity in areas of preventable harm. An accompanying commentary urges stakeholders to shift attention from whether disparities exist to determining how to eliminate them. (Pediatrics article, 2/12/24)