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.
Jiang
G X
GX
Division of Neurology, Karolinska Institute, Huddinge University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
Cheng
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Q
Fredrikson
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Link
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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