Insurance and education determine survival in infantile coarctation of theaorta

Health outcomes are determined by case severity, physician decisions, and p atient variables. In a population-based study between 1981 and 1989, 103 ca ses of infant coarctation of the aorta were diagnosed before one year of ag e. The goal of this study was to determine whether patient race, gender, in come, and insurance status had effects on outcome of coarctation of the aor ta that were distinct from the effect of case severity Survival of infants with coarctation of the aorta, a common congenital cardiovascular malformat ion, is associated with greater maternal education and with having any heal th insurance but not with measures of severity. Infants without health insu rance are 12.8 times more likely to die than infants with any health insura nce. fifty-five percent of al deaths in infant coarctation occur prior to s urgical treatment. One-third of deaths occur without diagnosis. Outcome mea sures require knowledge of the entire population and of insurance status to inform policy.