Hospitalizations and outcomes for diabetic gastroparesis in North Carolina.

Background: Population-based data to assess the extent of gastroparesis in the diabetic population are scarce. We examined the demographic and clinical characteristics associated with hospital admissions for diabetic gastroparesis in North Carolina.

Methods: Data from the 1998 North Carolina Hospital Discharge database were abstracted from records in which gastroparesis and diabetes mellitus were listed as simultaneous diagnoses.

Results: There were 1476 discharges meeting our criteria, with total charges of $11,378,446 over 7850 total hospital days. Most patients were female (65.8%), > or = 45 years of age (54.5%), and had Medicare as the primary payer (52.1%). While most of these patients were admitted under emergency or urgent circumstances, the vast majority had routine discharges.

Conclusion: Despite some limitations, these data indicate that diabetic gastroparesis is not uncommon, but can be treated effectively.