Respiratory disorders are the most common reason American children require hospital care, other than when they are born, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality reports. Respiratory disorders account for roughly 23% of hospital stays for children 17 and under, led by asthma, pneumonia, acute bronchitis and bronchiolitis (154,000-166,000 annual hospitalizations each). Digestive disorders account for 12% of hospital stays for children, including appendicitis (81,000) and gastroenteritis (76,000). Nervous system conditions rank third with nearly 8% of hospital stays, including epilepsy or convulsions (68,000) and meningitis (29,000). The statistics are from the Kids’ Inpatient Database, part of AHRQ’s Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project.
[ via AHA News ]
