Profile of hospital admissions for adults with cerebral palsy: a retrospective cohort study
Prue Morgan1, Joanne Enticott2, Rujuta Nikam3
1Department of Physiotherapy, School of Primary and Allied Health Care, Monash University, Frankston, Australia.
Insights
Adults with cerebral palsy (CP) frequently require emergency hospital admissions, often due to respiratory illness and gastrostomy issues. Their hospital stays are longer than children's, with many needing readmission annually.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Public Health
- Healthcare Management
Background:
- Cerebral palsy (CP) is a complex neurological condition requiring ongoing healthcare.
- Understanding acute hospital admission patterns in adults with CP is crucial for resource allocation and care planning.
Purpose of the Study:
- To retrospectively analyze acute hospital admissions for adults with cerebral palsy (CP).
- To identify common reasons for admission and compare patterns between adult and pediatric CP cohorts.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of five years of health service data for individuals with CP.
- Categorization of admission reasons using ICD-10 codes.
- Calculation of length of stay (LOS) and comparison between age groups.
Main Results:
- Adults with CP accounted for 29% of total admissions (850 out of 2922).
- Adults were significantly more likely to have emergency admissions (62.1%) compared to pediatrics (25.2%).
- Respiratory illness (20%) and gastrostomy dysfunction (19%) were the leading causes for adult admissions, with longer LOS than in children.
Conclusions:
- Adults with CP predominantly utilize acute hospital services for emergency care.
- Respiratory conditions and gastrostomy complications are major drivers of hospitalization in this population.
- Adult CP patients experience longer hospital stays and higher readmission rates.
Aim:
To retrospectively profile acute hospital admissions for a defined cohort of adults with cerebral palsy (CP).
Method:
Five years of health service data were interrogated to identify acute health service use by adults with CP. Admission types were described, admission reasons categorized using International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision codes, and length of stay (LOS) calculated. Any differences between paediatric and adult subsets were explored.
Results:
Individuals with CP constituted 2922 admissions. Of these, 850 (29%) were adult admissions. There were significant differences between admission reasons for paediatric and adult cohorts, with adults predominantly seeking hospital admission for emergency rather than planned care (emergency reason: adults 62.1%, paediatrics 25.2%; p<0.001). The median adult admission LOS was longer than that of children (p<0.001). The primary diagnosis admission reason in the adult data set was respiratory illness (20%) followed closely by gastrostomy dysfunction (19%).
Interpretation:
Adults with CP predominantly access acute hospital services for emergency health care. A high frequency of admissions is associated with respiratory illness and gastrostomy dysfunction in adults with CP. What this paper adds Adults with cerebral palsy (CP) access acute inpatient services for emergency health care. Hospital admissions are predominantly because of respiratory illness and gastrostomy dysfunction. Admission length of stay is longer for adults than children. Many adults with CP require hospitalization more than once a year.
