An Ecological Analysis of Hospitalization Patterns for Diseases of the Nervous System in England and Wales over the Last 20 Years

Objectives: This study aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the hospitalization pattern of nervous system diseases from 1999 to 2019. Methods: This is ecological research based on data from the Hospital Episode Statistics database in England and the Patient Episode Database in Wales, both of which are publicly available. Data on hospital admissions were collected between April 1999 and March 2019. Diagnostic codes (G00–G09: inflammatory diseases of the central nervous system, G10–G14: systemic atrophies primarily affecting the central nervous system, G20–G26: extrapyramidal and movement disorders, G30–G32: other degenerative diseases of the nervous system, G35–G37: demyelinating diseases of the central nervous system, G40–G47: episodic and paroxysmal disorders, G50–G59: nerve, nerve root and plexus disorders, G60–G65: polyneuropathies and other disorders of the peripheral nervous system, G70–G73: diseases of myoneural junction and muscle, G80–G83: cerebral palsy and other paralytic syndromes, and G89–G99: other disorders of the nervous system) from the tenth edition of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems 10th Revision (ICD-10) were used to identify hospital admissions. A Poisson model was used to examine the trend in hospital admissions. Results: During the study period, hospital admission rate increased by 73.5% (from 474.44 (95% CI 472.58–476.31) in 1999 to 823.37 (95% CI 821.07–825.66) in 2019 per 100,000 persons, trend test, p < 0.01). The most prevalent diseases of the nervous system hospital admissions causes were episodic and paroxysmal disorders, nerve, nerve root, and plexus disorders, and demyelinating diseases of the central nervous system which accounted for 37.4%, 22.1%, and 9.3%, respectively. Hospital admission rate between females increased by 79.1% (from 495.92 (95% CI 493.25–498.58) in 1999 to 888.33 (95% CI 884.97–891.68) in 2019 per 100,000 persons). Hospital admission rate between males was increased by 67.5% (from 451.88 (95% CI 449.28–454.49) in 1999 to 756.82 (95% CI 753.69–759.96) in 2019 per 100,000 persons). Conclusion: In the United Kingdom, hospital admissions for diseases of the nervous system are on the rise. Future research is needed to identify high-risk groups and suggest effective interventions to reduce the prevalence of these disorders.