A report from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality reveals respiratory disorders were the three most common causes of hospitalization in 2012 for children under the age of 18.
Pneumonia was the most common cause of hospitalization in children, with stays occurring at a rate of 169/100,000 population. There was very little difference in the rate between pneumonia and the next two most common diagnoses, acute bronchitis and asthma, which occurred at a rate of 168/100,000 and 167/100,000, respectively.
Mood disorders were the most common nonrespiratory and nonmaternal hospitalization diagnosis, with a hospital admission incidence of 144/100,000 population. This was followed by appendicitis (97/100,000), epilepsy and convulsions (95/100,000), and skin and subcutaneous tissue infections (80/100,000).The overall rate of hospitalization in children under age 18 years for nonneonatal and nonmaternal diagnoses was just over 2,500/100,000.
