title: Hospital admissions from residential aged care facilities to a major public hospital in South Australia (1999-2005).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe admissions patterns of residential aged care facility (RACF) residents admitted to a major public hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective longitudinal study linking hospital admissions and the Department of Health and Ageing RACF provider data from July 1999 to June 2005.
  
  
  METHODS
  All permanent residents of aged care facilities in South Australia admitted to a single public hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Description of primary diagnoses and trends.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 3310 admissions from 147 RACFs across South Australia. The most frequent primary diagnoses were fractured femur/pelvis, pneumonia and ischaemic heart disease. Two diagnoses increased significantly with an 11% annual increase for infections and a 5% increase for femur fractures.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Admissions from RACFs to a major South Australian public hospital are increasing primarily because of admissions for femur fractures and infections in high care. These conditions could be targeted for interventions to reduce hospital admissions.
authors.affiliation: Discipline of General Practice, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Jodie B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Hillen
authors.forename: Richard L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Reed
authors.forename: Richard J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Woodman
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Law
authors.forename: Paul H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Hakendorf
authors.forename: Brian J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Fleming
mesh_terms: D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005265:Femoral Neck Fractures / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006707:Homes for the Aged / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006779:Hospitals, Public / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000639:trends*; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013021:South Australia / Q000453:epidemiology