Black children almost 3.5 times more likely to die after surgery than white children

Black children are at a higher risk of postoperative complications and mortality, according to a study published in Pediatrics.

In this retrospective study, the 172 549 apparently healthy children who underwent inpatient operations had a 30-day mortality incidence of 0.02%, 13.9% postoperative complications, and 5.7% serious adverse events.

Black children had 3.43 times the odds of dying within 30 days after surgery compared with white children (odds ratio: 3.43; 95% CI: 1.73–6.79). Being black had 18% relative greater odds of developing complications after surgery (odds ratio: 1.18; 95% CI: 1.13–1.23) and 7% relative higher odds of developing serious adverse events (odds ratio: 1.07; 95% CI: 1.01–1.14), compared with being white.

Reference

Nafiu OO, Mpody C, Kim SS, et al. Race, postoperative complications, and death in apparently healthy children. Pediatrics. 2020;146(1): 20194113; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2019-4113