Patient statistics, 2001, preliminary figures

The increase in inpatient stays is the largest since Statistics Norway first published national figures from the Patient register by the end of 1980. From 1990 to 2000 there has been a steady increase in inpatient stays by an average of 1.3 per cent each year. From 1999 to 2000, however, the number of inpatient stays declined by 0.8 per cent, before the increase again continued.

North and South

From 2000 to 2001 the largest increase in inpatient stays was at hospitals in health region East and North, a growth of 5.8 and 4.5 per cent respectively. Some of the increases in health region East are caused by reduced treatment activities in 2000.

Per inhabitant there are most hospitals stays in the health regions North and East. In absolute figures inpatient stays increased the most in central hospitals followed by local hospitals. Central hospitals have the most stays, 39 per cent, followed by local hospitals, 31 per cent, and regional hospitals, 25 per cent.

Day treatments

In 2001 there were 324 652 day treatments in the general hospitals, more than 30 358 compared with the previous year. Day treatment covers day patients admitted to hospital departments and treatments at outpatient clinics that are more extensive than a polyclinical consultation. Day treatment mainly covers day surgery, rehabilitation, dialysis and cancer treatments.

The number of inpatient stays increased for all groups of diseases from 2000 to 2001 except for stays caused by pregnancy, birth and postnatal care, which decreased by 3.8 per cent compared with the previous year. This development is due to low birth rates in 2001.

Cardiovascular diseases, tumours (mainly cancer), injury and poisoning and respiratory diseases account for 45 per cent of all admissions to general hospitals.

Men and women

In 2001 323 641 men and 397 817 women were discharged from general hospitals. A higher degree of hospitalisation of women is mainly due to births and the fact that women live longer than men. 68 305 discharges were caused by pregnancy, birth and postnatal care.

Men are hospitalised more often than women because of cardiovascular diseases, which account for 58 per cent of the hospitalisations. Women account for 54 per cent of inpatient hospitalisations caused by tumours (mainly cancer). Admissions caused by symptoms and unknown conditions have increased significantly in the period 1993 to 2001, 42 per cent. Approximately 50 000 inpatient stays were related to symptoms and unknown conditions.

Children

For children less then one year of age most admissions were caused by certain conditions originated the perinatal period, 45 per cent, and congenital malformations, deformations and chromosomal abnormalities, 14 per cent. For children from 1 to 9 years of age respiratory diseases are the most common main diagnosis, 29 per cent.