Press Release 24/11/2023
HOSPITAL MORBIDITY STATISTICS. 2022
Hospital admissions rose by 4.3% in the acute care hospitals of the Basque Country in 2022
Public hospitals saw an increase of 5.4%, while the level dropped by 1.5% at private hospitals
A total of 230,747 hospital admissions were registered in 2022 at acute care hospitals in the Basque Country, a rise of 4.3% compared with the previous year, according to Eustat data. The increase amounted to 5.4% at public hospitals, while there was a 1.5% drop at private establishments. 84.2% of cases were treated at public hospitals, and 15.8% privately.
Hospital admissions for respiratory disease increased by 36.9% in 2022 compared to 2021, to become the third-biggest cause of hospital admissions, as in 2019 before the pandemic began.
Hospital admissions for Covid-19 dropped by 25.9% compared to 2021, accounting for 3.6% of all admissions in 2022 (5.1% in 2021). The average stay also fell to 8 days, as opposed to 9.5 days in 2021.
66.1% of hospital admissions were urgent, a percentage rising to 71.8% for public hospitals (35.4% at private establishments).
Of all those discharged, in 90.2% of cases this was because of recovery or improvement, 3.9% due to death, with the remainder being transferred to other centres or discharged for other reasons. January saw the highest monthly number of deaths (10.6%), followed by July (9.7%), which registered a higher than normal monthly figure for the summer period.
As for the characteristics of those admitted to hospital, there were more men (51.2%) than women (48.8%). 51.9% were aged 65 or over (49.7% in 2021), with the specific group aged 65-79 accounting for the greatest number of admissions (29%), followed by the age bracket 45-64 (25.1%) and those aged 80 or over (22.9%). By province, 50.7% lived in Bizkaia, 31.3% in Gipuzkoa and 15.4% in Álava. Meanwhile, 1.9% lived in bordering provinces, 0.4% in other provinces, and 0.3% abroad.
In terms of groups of illnesses, digestive and circulatory conditions were the main causes of hospital admissions in 2022 (with 13.2% and 12.7%, respectively), followed by respiratory illnesses (10.4%), tumours (9.6%) and trauma and injuries (9.4%).
Compared with 2021, the group of respiratory illnesses increased by 36.9%, placing it in third position (sixth in 2021 and fifth in 2020). As is typical, the autumn season saw the greatest number of cases, peaking in December, together with pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and other respiratory disorders associated with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Flu also had particular impact in the early months of autumn (September and October), followed by the onset of spring (March-April), outside the normal pattern.
Among women, excluding cases of pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum care (accounting for 13.1% of admissions), the greatest number of cases treated involved digestive tract illnesses (11.6%), followed by circulatory (10.6%) and respiratory (9.6%) conditions.
Among men, the three main causes of hospitalisation were the same as for women (excluding pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum care), although the proportion of cases was higher for all of these: digestive tract and circulatory illnesses (both at 14.6%), and respiratory conditions (11.1%).
Hospitalizations in the acute hospitals of the Basque Country by groups of most frequent diseases and COVID 19 according to sex and age groups. 2022
| | Total | % | Variation rate | Sex (%) | Age (%) |
| | | (*) ## | (%)2022/2021 | Man | Woman | 0-14 | 15-44 | 45-64 | 65-79 | 80 and more |
| LARGE DIAGNOSTIC GROUPS | | | | | | | | | | |
| Total | 230.747 | 100 | 4,3 | 100,0 | 100,0 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| Digestive system | 30.368 | 13,2 | 5,1 | 14,6 | 11,6 | 9,6 | 10,8 | 16,1 | 13,8 | 11,7 |
| Circulatory system | 29.191 | 12,7 | 0,5 | 14,6 | 10,6 | 0,9 | 2,3 | 10,9 | 16,0 | 20,9 |
| Respiratory system | 23.953 | 10,4 | 36,9 | 11,1 | 9,6 | 24,3 | 7,1 | 7,5 | 10,0 | 14,2 |
| Tumors | 22.102 | 9,6 | 4,7 | 10,4 | 8,7 | 1,2 | 4,2 | 12,3 | 13,8 | 7,1 |
| Trauma and injuries | 21.780 | 9,4 | 3,2 | 9,7 | 9,2 | 8,8 | 10,1 | 10,9 | 7,5 | 9,9 |
| Musculoskeletal system | 18.355 | 8,0 | 1,0 | 7,9 | 8,0 | 3,0 | 6,5 | 11,6 | 9,4 | 4,2 |
| Genitourinary System | 17.239 | 7,5 | 8,1 | 7,8 | 7,1 | 3,4 | 6,6 | 8,5 | 8,3 | 6,7 |
| Pregnancy, birth and puerperium | 14.752 | 6,4 | -4,4 | - | 13,1 | 0,0 | 33,6 | 0,3 | - | - |
| COVID-19 | 8.339 | 3,6 | -25,9 | 3,9 | 3,3 | 1,5 | 0,8 | 2,4 | 3,8 | 7,4 |
(*)The percentage has been calculated on the total number of hospitalizations
ICD -10 : International Classification of Diseases, 10th version
Date November 24, 2023
Source: Eustat. Hospital discharge statistic
The groups of illnesses, and within each the specific cause behind most hospital admissions among the population aged under 15 were respiratory (acute bronchitis and tonsil and adenoid hypertrophy); for those aged 15 to 44, excluding childbirth and pregnancy care, digestive illnesses (acute appendicitis); followed by trauma and injuries (broken legs, sprained joints and knee ligaments). For the group aged between 45 and 64, digestive illnesses continued to predominate (gallstones in women, and inguinal hernia in men). Other notable conditions included tumours (bronchial, lung and prostate in men, and breast and uterus in women), as well as musculoskeletal problems (hip osteoarthritis and shoulder injuries). Circulatory apparatus illnesses predominated in the group aged 65 and over, above all in the oldest of them, aged 80 and above (cardiac insufficiency and hypertensive heart disease). Among older adults (65-79 years) a notable number of digestive complaints and tumours were also seen (bladder, prostate, bronchus and lung).
The average length of stay was 5.7 days
The average duration of hospital stays was 5.7 days in 2022, the same as in 2021. The longest admissions, lasting more than a week, included mental health disorders (13.1 days), perinatal conditions (10.3), infectious and parasitic diseases (8.9 days) and Covid-19 (8 days).
Covid-19 was the leading cause of hospital admissions in 2022, although the number of admissions and average duration fell in comparison with 2021
An analysis of the main causes of hospital admission, considering specific illnesses rather than large groups of illnesses, puts Covid-19 in first place.
A total of 8,339 admissions to acute care hospitals had Covid-19 as their main diagnosis, accounting for 3.6% of hospital stays in 2022 (5.1% in 2021). These admissions also led to a total of 66,928 days in hospital, with an average stay of 8 days (9.5 in 2021): 8.4 days for men, and 7.6 days for women.
Men accounted for 55.5% of Covid-19 admissions, and women 44.5%. The monthly evolution of Covid-19 admissions reveals January and July to be the months with the greatest number of cases. Likewise, the number of admissions for Covid-19 increased with age: 46.7% of cases were in the group aged 80 or above.
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