The American Gastroenterological Association reported that digestive, liver, and pancreatic diseases result in more than 100 million outpatient visits and 13 million hospitalizations annually at a cost of $136 billion, which is more than for heart disease ($113 billion), trauma ($103 billion), or mental health ($99 billion).
Among digestive diseases, abdominal pain is the symptom most responsible for office visits (22 million) and emergency department visits (6 million), followed by nausea/vomiting (5 million and 2 million, respectively), and diarrhea/gastroenteritis (3 million and 1 million, respectively).
