Stroke hospital admission rates in Brisbane and Queensland in 2015: Data from 11,072 cases

Background and aims: Little data exist on the incidence of stroke in Australia. Our aim was to report age and sex disparities in hospital admission for stroke in Queensland, Australia's most populous northern state. Methods: We identified all patients admitted to hospital in Queensland with a diagnosis of stroke from January to December 2015. Results: Among 25,776 admissions with a diagnosis of stroke or TIA and related sequelae, stroke was the principal diagnosis in 11,072 cases of whom 5270 (47.60%) were first-ever stroke. Based on incidents per 100,000 population per year, the crude annual admission rate for first-ever strokes was 110 (95% CI, 107 to 113), 120 (95% CI, 115 to 124) for men and 101 (95% CI, 97 to 105) for women. The corresponding rates adjusted to the world population were 69 (95% CI, 52 to 85), and 88 (95% CI, 70 to 107) adjusted to the European population. Gender and age-adjusted incidence was greater for men than women in all age-groups, except those aged 30-34 years, where occurrence was 10 for men and 16 for women. Conclusions: Based on the outcomes, hospital admission for stroke occurs less frequently in Queensland than in other regions of Australia. Men generally show a higher rate of hospitalization than women, with the notable exception of women aged 30-34, for whom the trend reverses.