Serious hospital complications more likely among Asian-Pacific Islanders
Asian-Pacific Islanders are 16% more likely to die than whites in U.S. hospitals from serious, but treatable complications, according to the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
Why this is so is not known but experts speculate that Asian-Pacific Islanders go to hospitals that give lower quality care, may receive poorer quality of care than whites, are sicker in general and thus more vulnerable to complications, among other reasons, the Agency said.
Last August, health officials in Seattle published a report that found that Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders living in King County are poorer and have higher rates of smoking, obesity and death than do other residents of the area.
- Click here to read the LocalHealthGuide story on that report.
Asian-Pacific Islanders are 16 percent more likely than whites to die from serious, but treatable, complications in U.S. hospitals, according to a recent News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). AHRQ’s new analysis also found that, compared with white patients, Asian-Pacific Islanders having surgery were:
- 42 percent more likely to develop a blood infection (sepsis).
- 34 percent more likely to suffer kidney failure.
- 21 percent more likely to bleed internally or develop a large blood clot.
- 14 percent more likely to need a ventilator to breathe.
- 12 percent more likely to experience accidental punctures or cuts.
Experts who study health care quality believe Asian-Pacific Islanders may experience more potentially avoidable complications for several possible reasons, including being cared for in hospitals that provide less quality care; not receiving the same quality of care as other patients; having cultural or linguistic issues when communicating with doctors and nurses that may affect their care; or being sicker and more vulnerable to complications than other patients.
Seattle Resources for Asian Health:
- Asian Counseling & Referral Services: www.acrs.org
- Asian Pacific Islander Women and Family Safety Center: www.apiwfsc.org
- International Community Health Services (community clinics): www.ichs.com
- Washington State Asian Pacific Islander Hepatitis B Taskforce: www.apihepbwa.org
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