Mortality trends related to postoperative respiratory disorders in the United States, 1999–2020

Abstract

Despite being a critical area of concern, mortality trends for postoperative respiratory disorders in the United States remain underexplored. This study analyzes nationwide trends and regional disparities in deaths related to these disorders using CDC WONDER mortality data from 1999 to 2020, categorized under ICD-10 code J95. Age-adjusted mortality rates (AAMR) per 100,000 were calculated, and trends were analyzed across demographics, regions, urbanization levels, places of death, and states. Annual percentage change (APC) and average annual percentage change (AAPC) with 95 % confidence intervals (CI) were computed using Joinpoint regression. From 1999–2020, 45,828 deaths related to postoperative respiratory disorders were recorded, with AAMR declining from 1.06 in 1999–0.33 in 2020 (AAPC: −5.55 %; 95 % CI: −5.96 to −4.98). Males had higher AAMR (0.8) than females (0.5). Non-Hispanic (NH) Blacks reported the highest AAMR (0.75), followed by NH Whites (0.63), Hispanics (0.45), and NH Asians (0.37). Nonmetropolitan areas had higher AAMR (0.75) compared to small (0.68) and medium metropolitan areas (0.64). Regionally, the Midwest had the highest AAMR (0.67). State-level disparities were notable, ranging from 0.26 in Massachusetts to 0.98 in New Mexico. Despite a significant decline in mortality, likely driven by advancements in management and technology, persistent disparities highlight the urgent need for targeted interventions to address underlying inequities in healthcare access and outcomes.