Age-standardized Hospitalization Research Articles

COVID-19 Disparities Among Arab, Middle Eastern, and West Asian Populations in Toronto: Implications for Improving Health Equity Among Middle Eastern and North African Communities in the United States.

Equity-oriented efforts to mitigate and prevent COVID-related disparities are hindered due to methodological limitations of the categorization of racial and ethnic groups, including Arabs and Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) communities, which remain invisible in national data collection efforts. This study highlights the disparities in COVID-related outcomes in Toronto, Canada and supports ongoing calls to collect public health data among MENA communities in the United States. Data on racial/ethnic identity and hospitalizations were collected by the Toronto Public Health (TPH) of the Ontario Ministry of Public Health Case between May 20, 2020, and September 30, 2021 from people with a confirmed or probable case of COVID-19. The reported COVID-19 infection rate for Arab, Middle Eastern, West Asians (i.e., categories used to self-identify as MENA in Canada) relative to Whites in Toronto was 3.51. The age-standardized hospitalization rate ratio between Arab, Middle Eastern, West Asians and Whites was 4.59. Data from Toronto highlight that Arab, Middle Eastern, and West Asians have higher rates of COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations than their White counterparts. Comparable studies are currently not possible in the United States due to lack of data that can disaggregate MENA individuals. This study underscores the critical need to collect data among MENA communities in the United States to advance our field's goal of promoting and advancing equity.

Trends in all-cause hospitalizations for systemic lupus erythematosus in Mexico, 2000-2019.

Hospitalizations due to systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) incur substantial resource use. Hospitalization trends provide a key benchmark of the disease burden. However, there is little long-term data in Mexico. Therefore, we evaluated Mexican hospitalization trends for SLE during 2000-2019. Hospitalization trends of SLE were studied using data from 2000 to 2019 releases of the National Dynamic Cubes of the General Direction of Health Information, which provides data on hospitalization discharges in Mexico. Patients aged ≥15 years hospitalized during the study period with a principal discharge diagnosis of SLE (ICD-10 code M32) were included. From 2000 to 2019, there were 17,081 hospitalizations for SLE, of which 87.6% were in females and 87% in subjects aged 15-44 years. From 2000 to 2019, the age-standardized hospitalization rate for patients with SLE increased from 0.38 per 100,000 persons to 0.65 per 100,000 persons with an average annual percentage change (APC) of 2.9% (95% CI 6.2-63.2). Although there was a significant uptrend from 2000 through 2011, there was a significant decline from 2011 to 2019 (APC: -4.8%, 95% CI -7.0% to -2.5%). Similar trends were identified in subjects aged 15-44 years and in both sexes. The length of stay and inpatient mortality decreased between 2000-2009 and 2010-2019. Although there was a substantial increase in SLE hospitalizations in 2000-2019, in 2011-2019, a decreased trend was reported in younger patients and in females and males. The length of stay was also reduced.

Trends in Hospitalization and Mortality from Cervical Cancer in Brazil Are Linked to Socioeconomic and Care Indicators

We aimed, through an ecological survey of cervical cancer outcomes in Brazil, to analyze the influence of socioeconomic and care indicators of social vulnerability. The study sample (2010–2015) is composed of women diagnosed with cervical cancer, in different regions of the country. Data were collected from the Department of Health, in addition to searching the social vulnerability database of the Institute of Applied Economic Research. The incidence of age-standardized hospital admission declined over the years of the study in almost all regions but only one region showed a significant decline in indices of social vulnerability. In two other regions, one important indicator (human capital) significantly decreased. There was a positive correlation between vulnerability indices and age-standardized hospital admissions in most of the country. Decreasing vulnerability by easy access to cancer screening and early treatment improves cervical cancer outcomes.

Dengue, Zika, and Chikungunya viral circulation and hospitalization rates in Brazil from 2014 to 2019: An ecological study.

In addition to their direct pathogenic effects, arthropod-borne (arboviruses) have been hypothesized to indirectly contribute to hospitalizations and death through decompensation of pre-existing comorbidities. Using nationwide data routinely collected from 1 January 2014 to 31 December 2019 in Brazil, we investigated whether local increases in arbovirus notifications were associated with excess hospitalization. We estimated the relative risks for the association between municipality- and state-level increases in arboviral case notifications and age-standardized hospitalization rates (i.e., classified as direct or indirect based on ICD-10 codes) using Bayesian multilevel models with random effects accounting for temporal and geographic correlations. For municipality-level analyses, we excluded municipalities with <200 notifications of a given arbovirus and further adjusted the models for the local Gini Index, Human Development Index, and Family Healthcare Strategy (Estratégia de Saúde da Família) coverage. Models for dengue, Zika, and chikungunya were performed separately. From 2014 to 2019, Brazil registered 7,566,330 confirmed dengue cases, 159,029 confirmed ZIKV cases, and 433,887 confirmed CHIKV cases. Dengue notifications have an endemic and seasonal pattern, with cases present in 5334 of the 5570 (95.8%) Brazilian municipalities and most (69.5%) registered between February and May. Chikungunya notifications followed a similar seasonal pattern to DENV but with a smaller incidence and were restricted to 4390 (78.8%) municipalities. ZIKV was only notified in 2581 (46.3%) municipalities. Increases in dengue and chikungunya notifications were associated with small increases in age-standardized arbovirus-related hospitalizations, but no consistent association was found with all-cause or other specific indirect causes of hospitalization. Zika was associated to increases in hospitalizations by neurological diseases. Although we found no clear association between increased incidence of the three arboviruses and excess risks of all-cause or indirect hospitalizations at the municipality- and state-levels, follow-up investigations at the individual-level are warranted to define any potential role of acute arbovirus infection in exacerbating risks of hospitalization from underlying conditions.

Hospital incidence and mortality of patients treated for abdominal aortic aneurysms in Switzerland - a secondary analysis of Swiss DRG statistics data.

To analyse hospital incidence and in-hospital mortality of patients treated for abdominal aortic aneurysms in Switzerland. Secondary data analysis of case-related hospital discharge data of the Swiss Federal Statistical Office for the years 2009-2018. Patients who were hospitalised and surgically treated for nonruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms or hospitalised and treated for ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms were included in the analysis. Standardised annual incidences rates were calculated using the European standard population 2013. In-hospital all-cause mortality rates were calculated as raw values and standardised for age, sex, and the van Walraven comorbidity score. A total of 10,728 cases were included in this study, of which 87.1% were male. Overall, 22.7% of the patients presented with a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm; 46% of these cases were surgically treated whereas 54% received conservative therapy. The age-standardised cumulative hospital incidences for treatment of nonruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms were 2.6 (95% confidence interval 2.5-2.8) and 19.7 (19.2-20.1) per 100,000 for women and men, respectively; for ruptured aneurysms it was 0.4 (0.3-2.4) per 100,000 in women, and 2.7 (2.6-2.9) in men. The annual incidence rates were stable in the decade observed. The adjusted mortality rates for treatment of nonruptured aneurysms decreased from 5.5% (2.6-11.2%) in 2009 to 1.4% (0.5-3.6%) in 2018 in women, and from 2.4% (1.3-4.5%) in 2009 to 0.6% (0.2-1.5%) in 2018 in men. The adjusted mortality rates for treatment of ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms remained high without relevant improvements for either sex over time: for women 32.4% (24.1-42.1%), for men 19.7% (16.8-22.8%). The hospital incidence rates for nonruptured and ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms remained unchanged in the decade observed. Compared with Germany, there was no evidence for a decrease in the annual incidence rates for ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms in Switzerland. Mortality rates in the elective setting were low and decreased in the last decade but remained high in patients treated for ruptured aneurysms. Efforts to reduce the incidence of ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms are needed to reduce aneurysm-related mortality in Switzerland.

The Impact of Rural Hospital Closures and Health Service Restructuring on Provincial- and Community-Level Patterns of Hospital Admissions in New Brunswick.

In the early 2000s, the Province of New Brunswick, Canada, undertook health system restructuring, including closing some rural hospitals. We examined whether changes in geographic access to hospitals and primary care were associated with changes in patterns of hospital use. We described three measures of hospital use for ambulatory care sensitive conditions (ACSCs) among adults 75 years and younger annually during the period 2004–2013 overall, and at the community scale. We described spatial and temporal patterns in: age-standardized hospitalization rates, age-standardized incidence of hospital admissions, and rates of admissions via ambulance. Overall, rates and incidence of hospitalizations for ACSCs declined while admissions via ambulance remained largely unchanged. We observed considerable regional variation in rates between communities in 2004. This regional variation decreased over time, with rural areas demonstrating the sharpest declines. Changes in hospital service provision within individual communities had little impact on rates of ACSC admissions. Results were consistent across urban and rural communities and were robust to analyses that included older patients and those admitted for reasons other than ACSCs. Our results suggest that the restructuring and hospital closures did not result in substantial changes to regional patterns or rates of service use.

COVID-19 and acute kidney injury in German hospitals 2020.

IntroductionThe SARS-CoV-2 pandemic is a major challenge for patients, healthcare professionals, and populations worldwide. While initial reporting focused mainly on lung involvement, the ongoing pandemic showed that multiple organs can be involved, and prognosis is largely influenced by multi-organ involvement. Our aim was to obtain nationwide retrospective population-based data on hospitalizations with COVID-19 and AKI in Germany.Materials & methodsWe performed a query of G-DRG data for the year 2020 via the Institute for the hospital remuneration system (Institut für das Entgeltsystem im Krankenhaus GmbH, InEK) data portal and therefore included hospitalizations with a secondary diagnosis of RT-PCR proven COVID-19 infection, aged over 15 years. We included hospitalizations with acute kidney injury (AKI) stages 1 to 3. Age-specific and age-standardized hospitalization and in-hospital mortality rates (ASR) per 100.000 person years were calculated, with the German population of 2011 as the standard.ResultsIn 2020, there were 16.776.845 hospitalizations in German hospitals. We detected 154.170 hospitalizations with RT-PCR proven COVID-19 diagnosis. The age-standardized hospitalization rate for COVID-19 in Germany was 232,8 per 100.000 person years (95% CI 231,6–233,9). The highest proportion of hospitalizations associated with COVID-19 were in the age group over 80 years. AKI was diagnosed in 16.773 (10.9%) of the hospitalizations with COVID-19. The relative risk of AKI for males was 1,49 (95%CI 1,44–1,53) compared to females. Renal replacement therapy (RRT) was performed in 3.443 hospitalizations, 20.5% of the hospitalizations with AKI. For all hospitalizations with COVID-19, the in-hospital mortality amounted to 19.7% (n = 30.300). The relative risk for in-hospital mortality was 3,87 (95%CI 3,80–3,94) when AKI occurred. The age-standardized hospitalization rates for COVID-19 took a bimodal course during the observation period. The first peak occurred in April (ASR 23,95 per 100.000 person years (95%CI 23,58–24,33)), hospitalizations peaked again in November 2020 (72,82 per 100.000 person years (95%CI 72,17–73,48)). The standardized rate ratios (SRR) for AKI and AKI-related mortality with the overall ASR for COVID-19 hospitalizations in the denominator, decreased throughout the observation period and remained lower in autumn than they were in spring. In contrast to all COVID-19 hospitalizations, the SRR for overall mortality in COVID-19 hospitalizations diverged from hospitalizations with AKI in autumn 2020.DiscussionOur study for the first time provides nationwide data on COVID-19 related hospitalizations and acute kidney injury in Germany in 2020. AKI was a relevant complication and associated with high mortality. We observed a less pronounced increase in the ASR for AKI-related mortality during autumn 2020. The proportion of AKI-related mortality in comparison to the overall mortality decreased throughout the course of the pandemic.

Trends and patterns of cause-specific hospitalizations in mainland Portugal between 2000 and 2016

ObjectivesThis study aimed to describe trends and patterns of cause-specific hospitalizations in mainland Portugal between 2000 and 2016. Study designThis was a retrospective observational study based on hospital discharge data during the period 2000–2016 in mainland Portugal. MethodsAll inpatient hospital discharges among mainland Portuguese public hospitals were considered to evaluate trends and patterns over the years through hospitalization proportions, number of hospitalizations, age-standardized hospitalization rates (direct standardization using the European standard population), and the number of in-hospital stay days (bed-days). Health Cost and Utilization Project Clinical Classifications Software was used to categorize and cluster inpatients’ principal diagnosis. ResultsBetween 2000 and 2002 and between 2014 and 2016, age-standardized hospitalization rates decreased by 8.6%. Moreover, “liveborn,” “diseases of the heart,” and “respiratory infections” were the leading hospitalization causes in both periods with a variation of −8.8%, −8.3%, and 13.4% on age-standardized hospitalization rate, respectively. The age-standardized hospitalization rate due to “bacterial infection” increased by 108.7%. “Respiratory diseases” are the leading cause responsible for more in-hospital stay days in the period 2014–2016 (48.6% increase). All Portuguese regions presented decreasing overall trends in their age-standardized hospitalization rates in the study period, yet increasing trends were observed until 2004 except for the Lisbon region; in addition, the number of in-hospital stay days remained relatively stable through time. ConclusionsHospitalizations in mainland Portugal decreased between 2000 and 2016 with heterogeneous patterns considering time, age group, and gender. “Aspiration pneumonitis; food/vomitus,” “diseases of the white blood cells,” “other nutritional, endocrine, and metabolic disorders,” “bacterial infection,” and “pathological fractures” revealed substantial increases, and further evaluations and monitoring are required.

Hospitalisations with infectious disease diagnoses in somatic healthcare between 1998 and 2019: A nationwide, register-based study in Swedish adults

SummaryBackgroundSeveral studies indicate increasing hospitalisation rates for specific infectious diseases (IDs). Studies describing the entire ID spectrum are scarcer. Our aim was to describe hospital use with ID diagnoses in Swedish adults from 1998 to 2019.MethodsAll four-position codes in ICD-10 were reclassified as ID or non-ID diagnoses. Using data from the National Patient Register, age-standardised hospitalisation rates and average length-of-stay (LOS) was determined for hospitalisations with ID vs non-ID diagnoses in the primary position at discharge. The 22-year study period was divided into five periods that were compared using standardised rate ratios (SRR).FindingsAnnual hospitalisations with ID diagnoses increased from 115 thousand in 1998-2002 to 182 thousand in 2015-2019, for a rate increase from 17·4 to 23.0 per 1000 person-years, and a SRR (95%CI) of 1.32 (1.32-1.33). Concurrently, the hospitalisation rate with non-ID diagnoses decreased from 147 to 110, for a SRR of 0.75 (0.75-0.75). Average LOS decreased less for IDs than for non-IDs. Consequently, the proportion of hospital nights for which an ID was considered causing the hospitalisation increased from 11% to 21%. Persons aged 80+ years had the highest ID hospitalisation rate.InterpretationThe increased hospital use with ID diagnoses suggests an increasing incidence of severe IDs as well as a changing case-mix of hospitalised patients. Given the anticipated demographic change, this trend is likely to persist. Healthcare systems will need to address IDs in a comprehensive and standardised way.FundingGovernmental Funding of Research within the Clinical Sciences (ALF)

Ethnic disparities in hospitalisation and hospital-outcomes during the second wave of COVID-19 infection in east London

It is unclear if changes in public behaviours, developments in COVID-19 treatments, improved patient care, and directed policy initiatives have altered outcomes for minority ethnic groups in the second pandemic wave. This was a prospective analysis of patients aged ≥ 16 years having an emergency admission with SARS-CoV-2 infection between 01/09/2020 and 17/02/2021 to acute NHS hospitals in east London. Multivariable survival analysis was used to assess associations between ethnicity and mortality accounting for predefined risk factors. Age-standardised rates of hospital admission relative to the local population were compared between ethnic groups. Of 5533 patients, the ethnic distribution was White (n = 1805, 32.6%), Asian/Asian British (n = 1983, 35.8%), Black/Black British (n = 634, 11.4%), Mixed/Other (n = 433, 7.8%), and unknown (n = 678, 12.2%). Excluding 678 patients with missing data, 4855 were included in multivariable analysis. Relative to the White population, Asian and Black populations experienced 4.1 times (3.77–4.39) and 2.1 times (1.88–2.33) higher rates of age-standardised hospital admission. After adjustment for various patient risk factors including age, sex, and socioeconomic deprivation, Asian patients were at significantly higher risk of death within 30 days (HR 1.47 [1.24–1.73]). No association with increased risk of death in hospitalised patients was observed for Black or Mixed/Other ethnicity. Asian and Black ethnic groups continue to experience poor outcomes following COVID-19. Despite higher-than-expected rates of hospital admission, Black and Asian patients also experienced similar or greater risk of death in hospital since the start of the pandemic, implying a higher overall risk of COVID-19 associated death in these communities.

The impact of COVID-19 on the immigrant population in Italy. Context, methodology and synthesis of the main evidence from the project of the National Institute for Health, Migration and Poverty (INMP) and Italian Regions

COVID-19 acted on health inequalities in two ways: directly, in terms of infection risk and outcomes; indirectly, through effects on the economy, which exacerbated social inequalities. Immigrants have particularly suffered the effects of the pandemic.The Italian National Institute for Health, Migration and Poverty (INMP) has promoted the project "Epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) infection and use of health services in immigrant and vulnerable population groups in Italy" in collaboration with the Regions of Piedmont, Lombardy, Veneto, Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany, Lazio, and Sicily, to assess the impact of the pandemic in the immigrant population.This is an observational population-based study design, based on weekly monitoring data from the COVID-19 National Surveillance System of the Italian National Health Institute (ISS). The observation period was split into five sub-periods: February-May 2020 (wave I), June-September 2020 (intermediate period I), October 2020-January 2021 (wave II), February-April 2021 (wave III), May-July 2021 (intermediate period II).Access to diagnostic testing was higher among Italians; the incidence curve showed a lower level of infection among immigrants during the three waves and higher in the two intermediate periods. Age-standardized hospitalization rates were higher among immigrants both in noncritical care areas and in the intensive care unit, particularly in the intermediate stages of the epidemic. Immigrant standardized mortality rates were higher than those of Italians since the third period among males and in the fourth period among females.Differences were also observed on a regional basis and by the immigrants' area of origin.

Hospitalizations for COVID-19 Among American Indian and Alaska Native Adults (≥ 18 Years Old) - New Mexico, March-September 2020.

To assess the presence of racial disparity during the COVID-19 pandemic, the New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) sought to compare the case rate and risk of hospitalization between persons of American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) race and persons of other races in New Mexico from March 1 through September 30, 2020. Using NMDOH COVID-19 surveillance data, age-standardized COVID-19 case and hospitalization risks were compared between adults (≥ 18 years old) of AI/AN and other races. We compared age, sex, and comorbidities between hospitalized adults of AI/AN and other races. Among AI/AN persons, age-standardized COVID-19 case and hospitalization risks were 3.7 (95% CI 3.6–3.8) and 10.5 (95% CI 9.8–11.2) times as high as persons of other races. Hospitalized AI/AN patients had higher proportions of diabetes mellitus (48% vs. 33%, P < 0.0001) and chronic liver disease (8% vs. 5%, P = 0.0004) compared to hospitalized patients of other races. AI/AN populations have disproportionately higher risk of COVID-19 hospitalization compared to other races in New Mexico. By identifying etiologic factors that contribute to inequity, public health partners can implement culturally appropriate health interventions to mitigate disease severity within AI/AN communities.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40615-021-01196-0.

Hospitalization Trends for Acute Appendicitis in Spain, 1998 to 2017.

The incidence of acute appendicitis decreased in Western countries from 1930 to at least the early 1990s, when epidemiological data started becoming scarcer. This study aimed to assess the trend in annual hospitalizations for acute appendicitis in all people Spain for a 20-year period between 1998 and 2017. This observational study analyzing direct age-standardized hospital admission rates by gender and age group (0–14 years, 15–34 years, 35–44 years, 45–64 years, and ≥65 years). Joinpoint regression models were fitted to evaluate changes in trends. There were 789,533 emergency hospital admissions for acute appendicitis between 1998 and 2017: 58.9% in boys and men and 41.1% in girls and women. Overall, there was a significant increase in admissions for this cause from 1998 to 2009, with an annual percent change (APC) of 0.6%. Following the peak in 2009, admission rates decreased by around 1.0% annually until 2017. The length of hospital stay gradually decreased from 4.5 days in 1998 to 3.4 days in 2017. The trends in hospital admissions for acute appendicitis in Spain changed over the study period, decreasing from 2009, especially in people younger than 35 years.

Increasing Use of Anticoagulants in Germany and Its Impact on Hospitalization for Tooth Extraction.

This article aimed to compare nationwide time trends of oral anticoagulant prescriptions with the time trend of hospitalization for tooth extraction (TE) in Germany from 2006 through 2017. We derived the annual number of hospital admissions for TE from the Nationwide Hospital Referral File of the Federal Bureau of Statistics and defined daily doses (DDD) of prescribed anticoagulants in outpatients from reports of the drug information system of the statutory health insurance. From 2005 to 2017, annual oral anticoagulation (OAC) treatment rates increased by 143.7%. In 2017, direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) represented 57.1% of all OAC treatments. The number of cases hospitalized for TE increased by 28.0 only. From all the cases hospitalized for TE in Germany in 2006, 14.2% had a documented history of long-term use of OACs. This proportion increased to 19.6% in 2017. Age-standardized hospitalization rates for all TE cases with long-term use of OACs increased from 6.6 in 2006 to 10.5 cases per 100,000 person-years in 2014 and remained almost unchanged thereafter. Our comparison showed that the large increase in OAC treatment rates in general from 2006 to 2017 had only a small impact on hospitalized TE cases with long-term use of OAC which flattens since 2014.

Chronological trends of cardiovascular diseases in Southern Tunisia over a fourteen year -period

Abstract Introduction Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death worldwide and in Tunisia. In fact, as a result of progressive urbanization and westernization of lifestyle the spectrum and pattern of cardiovascular diseases CVD along with their risk factors are changing. The aim of this study was to describe the epidemiological profile of CVD hospitalizations, to evaluate their chronological trends and to estimate their future projected trends. Methods We retrospectively collected data from the regional morbidity registry of the University Hospital of Sfax, Tunisia, between 2003 and 2016. We included patients with ischemic heart disease (IHD), heart failure (HF) and rhythm and conduction disorder (RCD). Join-point regression analysis was performed to study chronological trends of CVD (Annual Percentage Change (APC); p). Results The mean age-standardized hospital incidence rate (ASHIR) was 94.8, 20.6 and 14/100000 inhabitants/year for IHD, HF and RCD, respectively. Trends analysis of CVD showed a significant increase in the ASHIR of IHD from 54.3/100000 inhabitants in 2003 to 123/100000 inhabitants in 2016, with an Annual Percentage Change (APC) of 3.59% (95% confidence interval (CI):0.4-6.7%; p &amp;lt; 0.001). An upward trend was observed for HF, with ASHIR rising from 8.6/100000 inhabitants in 2003 to 22.6/100000 inhabitants in 2016, with an APC of 8.29% (95%CI:4.1-12;p&amp;lt;0.001). For RCD, no significant change in ASHIR was found. Projections showed that the estimated ASHIR would attend 131 and 36.5/100000 inhabitants for IHD and HF, respectively, while RCD would decline to 19.6/100000 inhabitant in 2026. Conclusions IHD and HF were rising at an alarming rate and were expected to continue up to the next 10 years. Primary and primary prevention of cardiovascular risk factors, therapeutic education and early management would have a positive impact in the short and long term. Key messages The importance of the bidder of cardiovascular diseases. The necessity of primary prevention.

All-cause acute care hospitalization rates of immigrants and the Canadian-born population: A linkage study.

As Canadian immigration levels increase, knowledge concerning immigrant health becomes increasingly important for health system policy and planning. This study compares the rate of all-cause hospitalization among immigrants with that of their Canadian-born counterparts. Using records from the Discharge Abstract Database (2004/2005 to 2016/2017) and the Ontario Mental Health Reporting System (2006/2007 to 2017/2018) linked to the 2016 Longitudinal Immigration Database, this study compared the age-standardized hospitalization rates (ASHRs) among immigrants with those of the Canadian-born population; the latter were obtained from a linkage based on the 2011 National Household Survey. Comparisons were made at the International Classification of Diseases chapter level by immigrant landing year, admission category and world region of birth. Quebec data were not available. Overall, ASHRs among immigrants were lower than for the Canadian-born population. Immigrants in the economic class had the lowest ASHR, followed by those in the family class and among refugees. After pregnancy was excluded, leading hospitalization causes were similar for immigrants and the Canadian-born population, where top causes included digestive system and circulatory diseases, injuries, and cancer. In male and female immigrants, the ASHRs were lowest among those from East Asia. By landing year, males arriving earlier had the highest ASHR compared with the most recent arrivals. When pregnancy was excluded and while the differential in ASHRs among females by landing year remained, the magnitude was smaller. These results corroborate those from previous studies suggesting a healthy immigrant effect, but also reveal heterogeneity in ASHRs within the immigrant population. They provide a baseline for comparison of health status between populations, which enables further monitoring and informs health-system policy and planning.

Acute-care hospitalizations among First Nations people, Inuit and Métis: Results from the 2006 and 2011 Canadian Census Health and Environment Cohorts.

The objective of this study was to describe sex-specific hospitalization rates among Indigenous people in Canada (excluding Quebec), separately for First Nations people living on and off reserve, Inuit living in Inuit Nunangat (excluding Nunavik), Métis, and the non-Indigenous population. The 2006 and 2011 Canadian Census Health and Environment Cohorts (CanCHECs) were used, allowing hospital records to be examined by Indigenous identity as reported on the census. Five years of hospitalization data were used for each CanCHEC. Causes of hospitalization were based on the most responsible diagnosis and coded at the chapter level according to the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10-CA). Age-standardized hospitalization rates (ASHRs) were calculated per 100,000 population, and rate ratios (RRs) were calculated for each Indigenous group relative to non-Indigenous people. ASHRs were higher among Indigenous people than among non-Indigenous people; this was true for females and males from both the 2006 and the 2011 cohorts. Hospitalization patterns varied by sex and Indigenous group. The greatest disparities with the non-Indigenous population were observed among on-reserve First Nations females and males from both cohorts. Elevated RRs were observed for diseases of the endocrine, nutritional and metabolic system among First Nations females and males living on reserve; hospitalizations for mental health among First Nations females and males living off reserve and Inuit males; and diseases of the respiratory system among Inuit females. For Métis females and males, equally elevated RRs were observed for diseases of the endocrine system and mental health. ASHRs for most causes decreased between the 2006 and 2011 cohorts, with the exception of ASHRs for mental health among First Nations females and males living on reserve, which increased. Findings are consistent with recognized health disparities between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people. Further research is warranted to understand reported differences in hospitalization patterns.

Trends in COVID-19 case-fatality rates in Brazilian public hospitals: A longitudinal cohort of 398,063 hospital admissions from 1st March to 3rd October 2020.

Almost 200,000 deaths from COVID-19 were reported in Brazil in 2020. The case fatality rate of a new infectious disease can vary by different risk factors and over time. We analysed the trends and associated factors of COVID-19 case fatality rates in Brazilian public hospital admissions during the first wave of the pandemic. A retrospective cohort of all COVID-19-related admissions between epidemiological weeks 10-40 in the Brazilian Public Health System (SUS) was delimited from available reimbursement records. Smoothing time series and survival analyses were conducted to evaluate the trends of hospital case fatality rates (CFR) and the probability of death according to factors such as sex, age, ethnicity, comorbidities, length of stay and ICU use. With 398,063 admissions and 86,452 (21.7%) deaths, the overall age-standardized hospital CFR trend decreased throughout the period, varying from 31.8% (95%CI: 31.2 to 32.5%) in week 10 to 18.2% (95%CI: 17.6 to 18.8%) in week 40. This decreasing trend was observed in all sex, age, ethnic groups, length of stay and ICU admissions. Consistently, later admission (from July to September) was an independent protective factor. Patients 80+ year old had a hazard ratio of 8.18 (95% CI: 7.51 to 8.91). Ethnicity, comorbidities, and ICU need were also associated with the death risk. Although also decreasing, the CFR was always around 40-50% in people who needed an ICU admission. The overall hospital CFR of COVID-19 has decreased in Brazilian public hospitals during the first wave of the pandemic in 2020. Nevertheless, during the entire period, the CFR was still very high, suggesting the need for improving COVID-19 hospital care in Brazil.

Epidemiology of cardiovascular disease and its risk factors in Korea.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death and a major contributor to disability worldwide. Currently, Korea is among countries with the lowest CVD mortality rates, and the age-adjusted CVD mortality rate is still decreasing. However, depending on the CVD type, the mortality and incidence trends vary. Without age-standardization, cerebrovascular disease mortality peaked in 1994 (82.1 per 100K) and continued to decline until 2018 (44.7 per 100K), while heart disease mortality recorded the lowest level in 2001 (44.9 per 100K) then increased again until 2018 (74.5 per 100K). Age-standardized mortality rates showed different trends: both cerebrovascular disease and heart disease mortality rates have declined over the past few decades, although the rate of decline varies. Based on the National Health Insurance claim database, the numbers of hospitalization for cerebrovascular disease and ischemic heart disease are increasing, but the age-standardized hospitalization rates are decreasing. Unlike other types of CVDs, heart failure is rapidly increasing in both mortality and hospitalization rates regardless of age-standardization. Seventy percent of Korean adults have at least one risk factor, 41% have ≥ 2 risk factors, and 19% have ≥ 3 risk factors including hypertension, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, obesity, and smoking. Exposure to multiple risk factors increases with age, with 65% of senior citizens over 70 having ≥ 2 risk factors and 34% having ≥ 3 risk factors. As the elderly population, especially those with multiple risk factors and chronic disorders, is increasing, the management of this high-risk group will be an important challenge to prevent CVD in Korea.

Epidemiological characteristics and outcomes of COVID-19 cases: mortality inequalities by socio-economic status, Barcelona, Spain, 24 February to 4 May 2020

BackgroundPopulation-based studies characterising outcomes of COVID-19 in European settings are limited, and effects of socio-economic status (SES) on outcomes have not been widely investigated. AimWe describe the epidemiological characteristics of COVID-19 cases, highlighting incidence and mortality rate differences across SES during the first wave in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.MethodsThis population-based study reports individual-level data of laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases diagnosed from 24 February to 4 May 2020, notified to the Public Health Agency of Barcelona and followed until 15 June 2020. We analysed end-of-study vital status and the effects of chronic conditions on mortality using logistic regression. Geocoded addresses were linked to basic health area SES data, estimated using the composed socio-economic index. We estimated age-standardised incidence, hospitalisation, and mortality rates by SES.ResultsOf 15,554 COVID-19-confirmed cases, the majority were women (n = 9,028; 58%), median age was 63 years (interquartile range: 46–83), 8,046 (54%) required hospitalisation, and 2,287 (15%) cases died. Prevalence of chronic conditions varied across SES, and multiple chronic conditions increased risk of death (≥ 3, adjusted odds ratio: 2.3). Age-standardised rates (incidence, hospitalisation, mortality) were highest in the most deprived SES quartile (incidence: 1,011 (95% confidence interval (CI): 975–1,047); hospitalisation: 619 (95% CI: 591–648); mortality: 150 (95% CI: 136–165)) and lowest in the most affluent (incidence: 784 (95% CI: 759–809); hospitalisation: 400 (95% CI: 382–418); mortality: 121 (95% CI: 112–131)).ConclusionsCOVID-19 outcomes varied markedly across SES, underscoring the need to implement effective preventive strategies for vulnerable populations.