Hospitalizations for pelvic inflammatory disease and tuboovarian abscess.

OBJECTIVE

To describe the demographic characteristics of and procedures for patients hospitalized for pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) and tuboovarian abscess in California from 1991 to 2001.

METHODS

We used the International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification, diagnostic and procedural codes in the California Patient Discharge Database and census data to calculate hospitalization rates for PID and tuboovarian abscess by age and race/ethnicity. We estimated the proportion of PID and tuboovarian abscess hospitalizations associated with procedures and estimated average length of hospital stay, readmission rates, and mortality.

RESULTS

From 1991 to 2001, the California hospitalization rate for PID decreased by 61.5% (from 2.6 to 1.0 per 10,000 women). Tuboovarian abscess hospitalization rates declined by 33.3% during the same time period (from 0.6 to 0.4). Pelvic inflammatory disease hospitalization rates were highest among 20-39 year olds compared with other age categories. Black women aged 20-39 had the highest PID hospitalization rates compared with other racial/ethnic groups. The proportion of hospitalizations associated with hysterectomy was lowest for blacks.

CONCLUSION

In California, the hospitalization rate for PID has declined between 1991 and 2001. Black women, 20-39 years of age, had the highest PID hospitalization rates.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III.