Adolescent Substance Abuse Admissions to Hospitals
Author Information
Author(s): Deena J Chisolm, Kelly J Kelleher
Primary Institution: The Ohio State University College of Medicine
Hypothesis
What is the extent and nature of adolescent admissions to acute inpatient settings for substance abuse?
Conclusion
General acute care hospitals have a significant opportunity to recognize and treat adolescents with substance abuse problems.
Supporting Evidence
- SA admissions represented 1.25 percent of adolescent admissions to acute care hospitals.
- Nearly 90 percent of the admissions occurred in non-Children's hospitals.
- Most admissions were for drug dependence (38%) or non-dependent use of alcohol or drugs (35%).
- Nearly half of admissions had comorbid mental health diagnoses.
Takeaway
Many teenagers go to the hospital for problems with drugs or alcohol, and hospitals can help them get better.
Methodology
The study analyzed data from the 2000 HCUP-KID database, focusing on adolescent admissions for substance abuse.
Potential Biases
Potential overestimation of admissions due to lack of unique patient identifiers.
Limitations
The study may underestimate substance abuse prevalence due to coding criteria and lacks unique patient identifiers.
Participant Demographics
Adolescents aged 12 to 17, with a higher proportion of boys and older adolescents.
Statistical Information
P-Value
<0.01
Confidence Interval
95% CI 3.0–3.7
Statistical Significance
p<0.01
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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