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Comparison of the inpatients admitted during the recent 5 years (January 1994-December 1998) with those admitted
1Department of Oral Surgery, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume 830-0011, Japan.
Abstract:
As society ages, the composition of the diseases that occur within it changes accordingly. With that in mind, we examined the characteristics and trends in the recent inpatients and compared these recent inpatients with those of a previous report to identify the changes that accompany the aging of society. Subjects were 1,534 cases (men 56.9%, female 43.1%, average age 47.1 years) who were hospitalized at Kurume University Hospital for treatment during the 5-year period from January 1st, 1994 through December 31st, 1998. The ratio of inpatients over 65 years old was about 1.8 times higher than in the previous study, showing a clear trend toward an increased overall age of inpatients. As for the types of disease observed, the most common malignancies were epithelial tumor, followed by other benign tumors, as well as 76 cases which included diseases resembling tumor (epulis and exostosis etc.). A majority of the patients (55.6%) were directed to the Hospital by their dentist, a finding similar to that of the previous report. As for geographical distribution, 93.3% of the inpatients lived within 40 km of the center of Kurume City where our oral surgery is located, an increase of about 10% from the last report. In other words, our results showed a reduction in the sphere of treatment distribution.
Insights
The aging population is leading to older inpatients with more tumors and tumor-like conditions. Treatment distribution is becoming more localized, with most patients residing near the hospital.
Area of Science:
- Oral Surgery
- Oncology
- Geriatric Medicine
Background:
- Societal aging impacts disease demographics.
- Previous reports established baseline inpatient characteristics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze recent inpatient characteristics and trends.
- To compare current trends with historical data.
- To identify changes associated with an aging society.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 1,534 inpatients from 1994-1998.
- Comparison with a previous study's data.
- Analysis of patient demographics, diagnoses, referral sources, and geographic distribution.
Main Results:
- Inpatient age increased, with a 1.8x higher ratio of patients over 65.
- Epithelial tumors were the most common malignancy, followed by benign tumors and tumor-like conditions.
- Most patients (55.6%) were referred by dentists.
- Geographic distribution showed a concentration within 40 km of the hospital, indicating reduced treatment sphere.
Conclusions:
- The aging population is associated with an increase in older inpatients and a shift in disease patterns, particularly involving tumors.
- Oral surgery departments are increasingly serving a localized patient base.
- Further research is needed to understand the implications of these demographic and disease trends.