Hospital admissions for meningococcal infection in Spain (1997-2005).
OBJECTIVE
Spanish hospital surveillance system was analyzed to estimate the burden of hospital admissions for meningococcal infection in Spain during a nine-year period (1997-2005).


METHODS
Data were obtained from the national surveillance system for hospital data (Conjunto Mínimo Básico de Datos) maintained by the Ministry of Health and covering more than 95% of Spanish hospitals.


RESULTS
There were 9480 hospital admissions for meningococcal infection (ICD 9 CM 036; any listed diagnosis) during the study period. Annual incidence was 2.66 cases per 100,000 population. Rate of death and case-fatality rate were 0.17 per 100,000 population and 6.45%, respectively. The average length of hospitalization was 11.2 days. Youngest age group showed the highest incidence and rate of death (43.15 and 1.17 per 100,000 population respectively in 0-4 years old group), but case-fatality rate was higher in the oldest group (12.16%; more than 30 years old group). The cost of acute hospital care is estimated to be on average 4470 euro per case, which imposes an annual direct cost of 3-5 million euro to the Spanish health system.


CONCLUSIONS
Meningococcal infection is still an important cause of hospital admissions in Spain and results in large cost to the Health Care System.
Montero
J M San Roman
JM
Health Sciences Department I, Rey Juan Carlos University, Avda de Atenas s/n, Alcorcon 28922, Madrid, Spain. jesus.sanroman@urjc.es
Prieto
R Gil
RG
Alejandre
C Gomez
CG
Meca
L Alvaro
LA
Portugal
P
P
de Miguel
A Gil
AG
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007902:Length of Stay; D008589:Meningococcal Infections / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality; D008875:Middle Aged; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult