First hospital-admission rate as an epidemiological indicator for patients with multiple sclerosis in Stockholm, 1984-1993.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the first hospital-admission patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) in the population.


METHODS
By using the data from hospital discharge registry of MS diagnosis in Stockholm during 1984-1993, we calculated rates of first hospital-admission patients with MS in the population and evaluated the temporal trend of the rates during the study period.


RESULTS
There were 719 first hospital-admission patients with MS corresponding to 1556 admissions. The mean age at the first admission was nearly the same for male patients (44.3 years, SD: 12.9) and for female patients (44.6 years, SD: 13.7). The mean annual rate of first hospital-admission patients with MS was 4.46 per 100,000 person-years. The sex rate ratio of first hospital-admission patients with MS between females and males was 2.19:1.


CONCLUSIONS
The first hospital-admission rate of MS could be used as an epidemiological indicator which is useful in planning of hospital service for MS patients.
Division of Neurology, Karolinska Institute, Huddinge University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
G X
GX
Jiang
Q
Q
Cheng
S
S
Fredrikson
H
H
Link
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002391:Catchment Area, Health; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012042:Registries; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology