Men and women tend to have almost the same common diseases in USA apparently, except for suicide (more common in men) and the diseases exclusive to males or female. We’ll be discussing the most common disease reported in USA.
This article includes the most reported diseases in hospitals resulting in hospital stay for various age groups including infants, children, adults and old age people.
Please note that this list isn’t the top 10 deadliest diseases in USA which lead to the most fatalities, rather simply any condition that results in hospitalization.
Top 10 diseases reported in USA
Top ten diseases reported to the hospitals in United States resulting in hospital stay include (2010):
- Liveborn – Newborn infants was the commonest reason for hospitalization and accounted for almost ten percent of all hospital stays, as a significant number of newborn infants get hospitalized for initial care and management and for various conditions.
- Pneumonia (except that caused by STD or TB) – Pneumonia was the second most common condition resulting in hospital admission. This didn’t include the pneumonia caused by sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and tuberculosis (TB).
- Osteoarthritis – More common in patients above the age of 44
- Congestive Cardiac failure (non-hypertensive) – A condition when the cardiovascular system loses its capability to function properly and heart begins to fail. Top ten reasons for hospital admissions included CCF, however the one due to non-hypertensive causes.
- Septicemia (non-labor) – Septicemia refers to the infection of the blood, through bacteria or various toxins. This can lead to serious complications if left untreated so should be taken seriously. It was among the top ten reasons for hospitalization in 2010.
- Mood disorders – This condition was more common in children between age 1 year to 17.
- Cardiac dysrhythmias – Or cardiac arrhythmias, refer to irregular, faster than normal or slower than normal heart beat, in short any abnormality in the physiological rhythm of the heart due to any underlying cause.
- COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) and bronchiectasis – COPD, bronchiectasis or related lung diseases are caused by various factors including genetic and environmental. They result in a significant number of admissions in USA hospitals due to patients of varying age group.
- Device, implant or graft complications –
- Trauma to perineum and vulva, related to obstetrics – Trauma related to obstetrics and childbirth was more common in age group between 18 to 44, the child bearing age. They mostly included trauma to the vulva and perineum.
This list is based on number of stays in hospital for most frequent principal diagnosis in 2010.
It’s also noted that the incidence of hospital admissions due to acute renal failure has increased significantly (more than double) from 1997 to 2010.
Top reasons for hospitalization in USA based on age
The list can again vary based on age groups. Overall hospitalizations increase with the increasing age, except for infants.
Top causes for hospitalization in infants
Infants have high hospitalization rate mainly due to births of newborns, accounting for almost 86 percent of hospital stay for children under 1 year of age.
Top causes of hospitalization for children between 1 to 17 years age
For children between 1 and 17 years of age, the top three diagnosis in 2010 were:
- Mood disorders
- Pneumonia
- Asthma
Each of these occurred at almost 17 stays per 10 thousand population.
It’s important to note that the rate of hospitalization for asthma fell by almost 30 percent between 1997 and 2010, while that of skin and subcutaneous infections has doubled.
Top causes of hospital admission for adults between 18 to 44 years of age
The top causes for which the adults from age 18 to 44 were admitted, were mainly linked to the pregnancy and childbirth. The main causes were:
- Trauma to vulva and perineum due to childbirth
- Maternal stay with a previous history of cesarean section
- Prolonged pregnancy
- Hypertension, complicating the pregnancy and childbirth
During 1997 to 2010, the rate of hospitalization for cases in which delivery followed a cesarean section increased by almost 82 percent. However, the rate of hospitalization for normal deliveries and pregnancies fell by 56 percent.
Top causes of hospitalization in old age
We’ve included age above 44 in this group. This group itself is divided into 45 to 64, 65 to 84 and 85+ age groups, each having their own specific conditions that are common in those ages and result in hospital stay.
Top five causes of hospitalization in old age, 45 and above, are listed as follows:
- In 2010, the most common diagnosis for the patients between 45 to 84 years of age was osteoarthritis. The hospitalization rate for osteoarthritis has increased significantly since 1997.
- Cardiovascular diseases are also commonly seen in adults of age 45 and above. However the admissions for nonspecific chest pain and coronary artery atherosclerosis decreased between 1997 and 2010.
- Congestive cardiac failure (or congestive heart failure)
- Pneumonia
- Septicemia
- Cardiac dysrhythmias
Between 1997 to 2010, hospital admissions for CCF, pneumonia and septicemia went two high by 2 factors for patients of 85 and above as compared to the age group of 65 to 84 years of age.
The hospitalization rate for pneumonia and CHF went down for the patients of age 65 and above.
However, the admissions increased by 80 percent in patients between age 65 and 84 years of age, while 56% for 85 and older age group.
Most common conditions for uninsured hospital stay
The frequency for uninsured hospital stays in US increased by almost 50 percent for diseases from 1997 to 2010, including:
- Skin infections along with subcutaneous tissue infections
- Mood disorders
- Non-specific chest pain
- Disorders related to alcohol consumption
Some diseases remain common for all age groups like pneumonia, however several others are specific to a age group due to life style and also due to limitations of the human body. E.g. infants are going to be admitted for live birth of course! while old age patients are more commonly admitted for osteoarthritis, related to advancing age.
The list provided on this page doesn’t focus on the top fatal diseases in US (health conditions leading to death), rather it enlists the top conditions resulting in hospital admissions in US, specially during 2010 and mentioning the change in stats from 1997 to 2010.
Various diseases which were not so common in 1997 are on rise now probably due to improved diagnosis or poor diet and lifestyle, while few others are now significantly reduced probably due to advancement in healthcare and overall awareness.