Acute hepatitis B resulting in hospitalisation in New Zealand.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the epidemiology of acute hepatitis B resulting in hospital admission in New Zealand.


METHODS
National hospitalisation data on acute hepatitis B (ICD9 codes 070.2, 070.3) were analysed.


RESULTS
The average annual hospitalisation rate from acute hepatitis B in New Zealand was 1.4 per 100 000 for the years 1985-91. There was a greater risk of morbidity in Maori (relative risk (RR) for hospitalisation of Maori: RR = 2.24, (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.98, 2.52). The figure for Pacific Islands people was even higher (RR = 2.53, 95% CI = 2.01, 3.19). Relatively high hospitalisation rates occurred in males and in those aged between 15 and 29 years. Hospitalisations from acute hepatitis B were estimated to cost the hospital sector approximately $220,000 per year. Death occurred in 36 (5.4%) of these cases.


CONCLUSIONS
Data on hospitalisations from acute hepatitis B can provide useful information on the epidemiology of this disease in New Zealand.
Wilson
N
N
Health Communicable Disease Centre, Porirua.
Baker
M
M
D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D006302:Health Services Research; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000453:epidemiology*; D017721:Hospital Costs; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009017:Morbidity; D009520:New Zealand / Q000453:epidemiology; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012306:Risk; D017678:Sex Distribution