Appendicectomies in Albanians in Greece: outcomes in a highly mobile immigrant patient population

Athina Tatsioni¹ , Antonia Charchanti² , Evangelia Kitsiou³ and John PA Ioannidis⁴

¹research fellow, Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Medical School, University of loannina, 451 10 Ioannina, Greece

²postgraduate research fellow, Department of Pathology, University Hospital of Ioannina, Panepistimiou Ave, 455 00 Ioannina, Greece

³registrar, Department of Pathology, General Hospital of Ioannina, Makriyianni Ave, 455 00 Ioannina, Greece

⁴associate professor and chairman, Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Medical School, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece and associate professor of medicine. Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston

author email corresponding author email

BMC Health Services Research 2001, 1:5doi:10.1186/1472-6963-1-5


Published:	28 June 2001

Abstract

Background

Albanian immigrants in Greece comprise a highly mobile population with unknown health care profile. We aimed to assess whether these immigrants were more or less likely to undergo laparotomy for suspected appendicitis with negative findings (negative appendicectomy), by performing a controlled study with individual (1:4) matching. We used data from 6 hospitals in the Greek prefecture of Epirus that is bordering Albania.

Results

Among a total of 2027 non-incidental appendicectomies for suspected appendicitis performed in 1994-1999, 30 patients with Albanian names were matched (for age, sex, time of operation and hospital) to 120 patients with Greek names. The odds for a negative appendicectomy were 3.4-fold higher (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.24-9.31, p = 0.02) in Albanian immigrants than in matched Greek-name subjects. The difference was most prominent in men (odds ratio 20.0, 95% CI, 1.41-285, p = 0.02) while it was not formally significant in women (odds ratio 1.56, 95% CI, 0.44-5.48). The odds for perforation were 1.25-fold higher in Albanian-name immigrants than in Greek-name patients (95% CI 0.44- 3.57).

Conclusions

Albanian immigrants in Greece are at high risk for negative appendicectomies. Socioeconomic, cultural and language parameters underlying health care inequalities in highly mobile immigrant populations need better study.