Inpatient hospitalization for gynecologic disorders in the United States

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine trends in hospitalizations for gynecologic disorders in the United States. STUDY DESIGN: Data on hospitalizations from 1998-2005 among women 15-54 years old were from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample, a nationally representative survey of inpatient hospitalizations. Hospitalizations with a principal diagnosis of a gynecologic disorder were used to estimate rates per 10,000 women. RESULTS: Gynecologic disorders accounted for 7% and 14% of all hospitalizations among women 15-44 and 45-54 years old, respectively. The most common diagnoses were uterine leiomyomas (rate = 27.5), menstrual disorders (rate = 12.3), endometriosis (rate = 9.5), genital prolapse (rate = 7.0), benign ovarian cysts (rate = 6.5), and pelvic inflammatory disease (rate = 6.1). The hospitalization rate for menstrual disorders increased from 9.8 in 1998 to 13.3 in 2005 (P trend < .001). In contrast, rates declined for pelvic inflammatory disease, genital prolapse, benign ovarian cysts, and endometriosis (P trend < .05) and were unchanged for uterine leiomyoma. CONCLUSION: Gynecologic disorders are an important contributor to inpatient hospitalization among women in the United States.