Trends in Hospital Admission Due to Diseases of the Eye and Adnexa in the Past Two Decades in England and Wales: An Ecological Study

PURPOSE: To investigate the trends of hospital admissions concerning diseases of the eye and adnexa in the United Kingdom in the past 20 years. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An ecological study was conducted using hospital admission data taken from the Hospital Episode Statistics database in England and the Patient Episode Database for Wales. Hospital admissions data for diseases of the eye and adnexa were extracted for the period between April 1999 and March 2019. The trend in hospital admissions was assessed using a Poisson model. RESULTS: Hospital admission rate for diseases of the eye and adnexa increased by 73.8% [from 7.48 (95% CI 7.45–7.50) in 1999 to 13.00 (95% CI 12.97–13.02) in 2019 per 1000 persons, trend test, p < 0.001]. The most common cause of hospitalisation for diseases of the eye and adnexa was disorders of the lens (62.3%), followed by disorders of the choroid and retina (14.2%), followed by disorders of the eyelid, lacrimal system and orbit (11.5%). Hospital admission rate among males increased by 91.2% [from 6.19 (95% CI 6.16–6.22) in 1999 to 11.83 (95% CI 11.80–11.87) in 2019 per 1000 persons]. Hospital admission rate among females increased less sharply by 63.2% [from 8.71 (95% CI 8.68–8.75) in 1999 to 14.22 (95% CI 14.18–14.26) in 2019 per 1000 persons]. CONCLUSION: There are clear gender and age trends in the epidemiology of hospital admissions related to eye and adnexa disorders. Further observational studies are warranted to identify other risk factors for these important causes of hospitalisation and understanding of differential trends.