title: Reasons for hospital admissions among youth and young adults with cerebral palsy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify the most common reasons for acute care hospital admissions among youth (age range, 13-17.9y) and young adults (age range, 23-32.9y) with cerebral palsy (CP).
  
  
  METHODS
  We completed a secondary analysis of data from the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) to determine the most frequently observed reasons for admissions and the associated lengths of stay (LOS).
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were identified from 6 children's treatment centers in Ontario, Canada.
  
  
  METHODS
  Health records data from youth with CP (n=587) and young adults with CP (n=477) contributed to this study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Not applicable.
  
  
  METHODS
  The most common reasons for hospital admission, relative frequencies of admissions for each reason, and mean LOS were reported.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The analysis of CIHI records identified epilepsy and pneumonia as the top 2 reasons for admissions in both age groups. Both age groups were commonly admitted because of infections other than pneumonia and urinary tract infections (UTIs), gastrointestinal (GI) problems such as malabsorption, and mental illness. The reasons that were unique to youth included orthopedic and joint-related issues, other respiratory problems, and scoliosis. In young adults, mental illness was the third most common reason for admission, followed by lower GI or constipation problems, malnutrition or dehydration, upper GI problems, fractures, and UTIs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This article provides important clinical information that can be used in the training of physicians and health care providers, and to guide future planning of ambulatory care services to support the clinical management of persons with CP over their lifespan.
authors.affiliation: Laurentian University, Sudbury, ON, Canada. nyoung@laurentian.ca
authors.forename: Nancy L
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Young
authors.forename: Anna M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: McCormick
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gilbert
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ayling-Campos
authors.forename: Tricia
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Burke
authors.forename: Darcy
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fehlings
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wedge
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007345:Insurance Claim Review / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult