Press Release 28/10/2022
HOSPITAL MORBIDITY STATISTICS. 2021
Admissions to acute care hospitals in the Basque Country increased by 5.8% in 2021
In contrast to the rise in hospitalisations, admissions due to respiratory diseases were down 7.2%
Following the drop in hospitalisations in 2020 due to the impact of COVID-19, acute care hospitals in the Basque Country registered an increase of 5.8% in 2021, with a total of 221,264 hospitalisations, according to Eustat data. 83.3% of admissions were to public hospitals and 16.7% to private ones. COVID-19 accounted for 5.1% of hospitalisations. In addition, surgery, which recorded 82,104 admissions, saw a rise of 25% compared to 2020, reaching figures close to pre-pandemic levels.
Diseases of the circulatory and digestive systems were the main causes of hospitalisation in 2021 (both with 13.1%). They were followed, with the same percentage, by tumours and trauma and injuries (9.5%) and diseases of the musculoskeletal system (8.2%). In comparison with 2020, diseases of the respiratory system fell by 7.2%, primarily due to the drop in the number of cases of flu, pneumonia and other respiratory conditions, placing this group in sixth position (fifth in 2020 and third in 2019).
As regards the profile of those admitted to hospital, 51% were men and 49% women; 49.7% were aged 65 and over, with the most common age being 73 for men and 84 for women. By province, 50.6% resided in Bizkaia, 31.8% in Gipuzkoa and 15.1% in Álava; the remainder (2.5%) were mostly from neighbouring provinces (Burgos, Cantabria and Navarra).
Excluding pregnancy, birth and postnatal incidents, the main causes of hospitalisation were the same for men and women,
although diseases of the circulatory system were more prevalent among men (15.2% compared to 11% among women), as were diseases of the digestive system (14.3% compared to 11.8%).
Hospitalizations in the acute hospitals of the Basque Country by groups of most frequent diseases and age groups. 2021
| | Total | % | Variation rate | Age (%) |
| | | | (%)2021/2020 | 0-14 | 15-44 | 45-64 | 65-79 | 80 and more |
| LARGE DIAGNOSTIC GROUPS | | | | | | | | |
| Total | 221.264 | 100 | 5,8 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| Circulatory system | 29.046 | 13,1 | 9,9 | 0,8 | 2,4 | 10,9 | 16,6 | 23,6 |
| Digestive system | 28.887 | 13,1 | 6,6 | 10,5 | 10,8 | 15,0 | 13,5 | 12,7 |
| Tumors | 21.118 | 9,5 | 6,7 | 1,0 | 4,0 | 12,1 | 13,9 | 7,6 |
| Trauma and injuries | 21.100 | 9,5 | 8,3 | 9,9 | 9,4 | 10,4 | 7,8 | 10,8 |
| Musculoskeletal system | 18.182 | 8,2 | 10,8 | 2,8 | 6,3 | 11,9 | 9,9 | 4,3 |
| Respiratory system | 17.500 | 7,9 | -7,2 | 21,2 | 5,5 | 5,7 | 7,3 | 11,0 |
| Genitourinary System | 15.946 | 7,2 | 9,0 | 3,7 | 6,3 | 7,7 | 8,2 | 6,8 |
| Pregnancy, birth and puerperium | 15.436 | 7,0 | -2,5 | 0,1 | 34,3 | 0,3 | - | - |
| Special Purpose Codes (COVID-19) | 11.247 | 5,1 | 7,3 | 1,2 | 3,8 | 7,2 | 5,4 | 4,0 |
The percentage has been calculated on the total number of hospitalizations
ICD -10 : International Classification of Diseases, 10th version
Date October 28, 2022
Source: Eustat. Hospital discharge statistic
In terms of age, other disease groups took the lead: in the population aged 0-14 it was respiratory diseases (acute bronchiolitis and tonsil and adenoid hypertrophy); in the 15-44 age group it was treatment for pregnancy and birth for women, and trauma and injury (cruciate ligament sprain) for men; standing out in the 45-64 age group were digestive diseases (inguinal hernia) for men and tumours (breast and uterine) for women; of particular note in those aged 65 and over were circulatory diseases (heart failure).
The average length of stay was 5.7 days
The average length of hospital stays was 5.7 days (5.8 in 2020); the longest stays were for mental disorders (13.2 days), perinatal diseases (10.6 days) and COVID-19 (9.5 days).
5.1% of hospitalisations were due to COVID-19
COVID-19 was the main cause of a total of 11,247 admissions to acute care hospitals, which accounted for 5.1% of hospitalisations in 2021. Furthermore, these admissions caused 106,608 stays, which represented an average length of stay of 9.5 days (10.1 days for men and 8.5 for women).
The monthly evolution of hospitalisations shows February, April/May, August and December as the months with the highest number of cases.
59.9% of admissions due to COVID-19 corresponded to men and 40.1% to women. By age group, the highest percentage of cases corresponded to the 45-64 age group (37.3%), followed by those aged 65-79 (30%), 80 and over (16.8%) and 15-44 (15%), although this latter group was particularly prominent in July and August, when it surpassed the other age groups in terms of the number of cases.
Outpatient surgery procedures rose to almost pre-pandemic levels
Outpatient surgery, where patients are admitted, treated and discharged on the same day, recorded 82,104 admissions, a similar figure to that recorded in 2019 (82,490); of these, 57.9% corresponded to public hospitals and 42.1% to private ones.
As regards patient patterns, 52.5% were women and 47.5% men, and the majority (62.2%) were aged between 45 and 79. Eye diseases and related ailments was the group in which the most surgeries were performed (32.9%), particularly cataract surgery, with the majority taking place in public hospitals.
In private hospitals, more cases were associated with the musculoskeletal system (inner knee disorders among men and deformities of fingers and toes among women), together with skin conditions.
Outpatient surgery patients in acute hospitals of the Basque Country by sex and ownership. 2021
| | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2021 (%) | Sex (%) | Owned (%) |
| | | | | | Man | Woman | Public | Private |
| LARGE DIAGNOSTIC GROUPS | | | | | | | | |
| Total | 82.104 | 65.731 | 82.490 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| Eye and annex diseases | 27.026 | 23.256 | 29.552 | 32,9 | 30,2 | 35,4 | 48,2 | 12,0 |
| Musculoskeletal system | 9.066 | 7.300 | 9.439 | 11,0 | 11,2 | 10,9 | 6,8 | 16,9 |
| Digestive system | 7.735 | 5.761 | 6.844 | 9,4 | 12,5 | 6,7 | 9,4 | 9,4 |
| Tumors | 6.683 | 6.031 | 6.238 | 8,1 | 6,1 | 10,0 | 6,6 | 10,2 |
| Skin diseases | 6.417 | 4.161 | 6.077 | 7,8 | 8,3 | 7,4 | 1,4 | 16,7 |
The percentage has been calculated on the total number of hospitalizations
ICD -10 : International Classification of Diseases, 10th version
Date October 28, 2022
Source: Eustat. Hospital discharge statistic
Methodological note
For reasons of comparability with Spanish and international statistics, the hospital admissions mode only takes into account admissions with a stay equal to or greater than 1 day, that is, admissions with 0 days are not counted. The length of stay is calculated as the number of days between the date of admission and the date of discharge, without taking into account the time of admission or discharge.
For further information:
Eustat - Euskal Estatistika Erakundea / Basque Statistics Institute
C/ Donostia-San Sebastián, 1 01010 Vitoria-Gasteiz
Press Service: servicioprensa@eustat.eus Tel.: 945 01 75 62