Abstract

GUERRERO ESPEJO, Antonio  and  TOMAS DOLS, Sofía. Hospital admissions for infectious diseases: 1999-2003 incidence in one health district in the Autonomous Community of Valencia, Spain. Rev. Esp. Salud Publica [online]. 2007, vol.81, n.4, pp.411-420. ISSN 2173-9110.

Background: Infectious diseases are still currently one of the leading causes of death and illness. Their dynamic nature justifies the epidemiological study thereof. This study is aimed at analyzing the incidence of infectious diseases most often conditioning hospital admissions. Methods: A study was conducted of those individuals admitted to hospital during the 1999-2003 period whose main diagnosis at admission to hospital had been encoded according to the International Disease Classification (ICD 9-CM) as an infectious disease in the Minimum Basic Data Set. A total of 2,010 active infectious disease codes were selected and were grouped into 25 groups as per the ICD 9-CM. The target population was that of one district in the Autonomous Community of Valencia. Results: A total of 9.7% of the admissions during the period under study (8,585 records) were due to an infectious disease. Those affected averaged 38 years of age, median age of 37, standard deviation 31 and the range of 1-102 years. The admissions of males (54.5%) prevailed over females (48.5%). The incidence rate of admissions due to infectious diseases was 728 cases / 100,000 inhabitants / year. The highest rate of admissions was among young children and the elderly. The groups of diseases showing the largest number of admissions were, in descending order, infectious digestive, respiratory and genitourinary diseases. Conclusion: The hospital admissions due to infections diseases totaled one tenth of the admissions, and 7/ 1,000 inhabitants / year required hospitalization for an infectious disorder. The highest incidence rates were found for intestinal diseases, digestive, respiratory and genitourinary tract diseases among the childhood-aged population, but also, although in smaller percentages, among individuals over 65 years of age.

Keywords : Communicable diseases; Incidence; Hospital.

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