title: Health situation analysis of hospitalized Thai older persons in the year 2010.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Thailand has reached an ageing society on account of demographic transitions. Hospitalized elders are susceptible to having detrimental consequences in many aspects. Understanding the situation regarding elders being hospitalized would help allied-healthcare workers to focus and take necessary action on particular issues.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To demonstrate the admission rate of elders, common causes of hospitalization and their mortality rates.
  
  
  METHODS
  Information on illness of inpatients and casualties came from hospitals nationwide and from hospitals withdrawals from the 3 health insurance schemes in fiscal 2010. The data included 96% of the population. The data were analyzed by age groups and burdensome diseases.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Elders posed the highest rate of all hospitalization (24.3/100 older persons) and the proportion increased with age. The top three common causes for hospitalization were diseases of respiratory tract (13%), circulatory (12%) and digestive system (11%). Mortality rates were highest in elders with pneumonia (129.7/100,000 persons).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Older hospitalization was the highest for all hospitalization ages. Common causes for hospitalization are partly the consequences of modifiable factors. Thus, healthcare providers require extensive effort to enhance education and training to allied-healthcare workers regarding preventive and early diagnosis strategies to those with frequent illnesses.
authors.affiliation: Division of Geriatric Medicine, Internal Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand. Ipanit@kku.ac.th
authors.forename: Panita
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Limpawattana
authors.forename: Sumitr
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sutra
authors.forename: Yupa
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Thavornpitak
authors.forename: Kosin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wirasorn
authors.forename: Jarin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chindaprasirt
authors.forename: Pisaln
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mairieng
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D017052:Hospital Mortality / Q000639:trends; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009017:Morbidity / Q000639:trends*; D012307:Risk Factors; D013785:Thailand / Q000453:epidemiology