Comparison of selected reasons for hospitalization of children among children's/tertiary hospitals, Australia, 1996-97 and 1997-98.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the major characteristics of admissions to children's/tertiary hospitals (compared to other hospitals) and to compare characteristics of local and non-local admissions to specialist children's hospitals.


METHODS
A cross-sectional analysis of a routinely collected data set of hospitalizations in Australia in 1996-97 and 1997-98.


RESULTS
Hospital-specific proportions of asthma and bronchitis, tonsillectomy and/or adenoidectomy and gastroenteritis varied considerably. Multivariate analysis comparing the characteristics of admitted patients by locality showed that non-local admissions of patients with asthma and bronchitis and gastroenteritis to selected children's hospitals were significantly more likely to be Indigenous children and/or children who had been transferred from another hospital. Non-local admissions of tonsillectomy and/or adenoidectomy patients to selected hospitals were significantly more likely to be public patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Differences in the characteristics of admitted patients to children's hospitals by locality raise issues about equality of access and availability of appropriate services for these children and their families.
Ford
J B
JB
School of Women's and Children's Health, University of New South Wales, New South Wales, Australia. j.ford@unsw.edu.au
Henry
R L
RL
Sullivan
E A
EA
D000293:Adolescent; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D001991:Bronchitis / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000453:epidemiology; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006776:Hospitals, Pediatric / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006779:Hospitals, Public / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D014068:Tonsillectomy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data