Inflammatory bowel disease--hospitalization.

OBJECTIVES This analysis examines trends in hospitalization for Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, the two main forms of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). DATA SOURCES Data are from the Hospital Morbidity Database for 1983/84 to 2000/01, and from the Health Person-Oriented Information Database for 1994/95 to 2000/01. ANALYTICAL TECHNIQUES Sex- and age-specific rates were calculated for separations attributed to Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Rates and hospital days were also calculated for hospitalizations in which IBD was among the first five diagnostic codes on a patient's discharge abstract. The frequency of rehospitalization was examined. MAIN RESULTS From the early 1980s to the mid-1990s, annual rates of hospitalization for Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis rose slightly, but have since levelled off. Hospitalization rates for both conditions are highest among people in their twenties. The average length of stay for patients with either disease fell from about 2 weeks in 1983/84 to 9 or 10 days in 2000/01. More than a quarter of patients hospitalized for Crohn's disease and over 20% of those with ulcerative colitis were readmitted within the same year.