Nationwide Population-based Epidemiological Study of Intracranial and Intraspinal Abscesses in Taiwan

Abstract

Little is known about the epidemiology of intracranial and intraspinal abscesses in Taiwan. Therefore, we conducted the first population-based epidemiological study of these diseases in Taiwan. Cases of intracranial and intraspinal abscesses were retrieved from the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan using any of the 5 main discharge diagnostic codes beginning with 324 in the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification during 2000 ~ 2007. There were 6,658 patients with intracranial or intraspinal abscesses who utilized 9,812 inpatient services during the study period. The average incidence rate was 3.68 per 100,000 person-years. There was a higher incidence rate among men than women, with a male/female incidence ratio of 2.2. The age-specific incidence rate peaked at age 65 ~ 69 for men and 70 ~ 74 for women. Septicemia, osteomyelitis and type 2 diabetes mellitus were the most common co-existing diagnoses. The average cost of treating one patient with the disease was 334,131 New Taiwan Dollars. The mean acute ward stay was 28.5 days. This was the first nationwide, population-based epidemiologic study of intracranial and intraspinal abscesses. Our data revealed the high medical costs and long hospital course involved in treating the disease.