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Article History

Received: 27 August 2025

Accepted: 14 November 2025

First Online: 1 December 2025

Declarations

:

: This research utilized de-identified, publicly accessible data from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project’s (HCUP) National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database. Consequently, it was exempt from Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval and informed consent requirements, which aligns with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ policy on research involving publicly available, de-identified datasets.

: Not applicable.

: The authors declare no competing interests.