Number of emergency admissions for COPD per 1,000 inhabitants, 75 years and older
Nationally, the number of emergency admissions for COPD among the elderly increased from 8,100 in 2015 to approximately 9,700 in 2024, an increase of 20 %. The number of elderly aged 75 years and older increased by 35 % during the same period. During the pandemic years 2020 and 2021, the number of emergency admissions for COPD among the elderly was significantly lower. The number of emergency admissions for COPD per 1,000 elderly has slightly decreased during the period, from nearly 23 per 1,000 elderly in 2015 to 20 per 1,000 elderly in 2024. The rate changed little during the period from 2015 to 2019, but in the period from 2022 to 2024, the rate has been lower than before the pandemic.
The geographical variation is moderate. In 2024, residents in Lovisenberg had the highest number of emergency admissions for COPD per 1,000 elderly. The rate in the Lovisenberg catchment area in 2024 was nearly twice as high as in the Diakonhjemmet catchment area.
The analysis is based on activity data from the Norwegian Patient Register (NPR) for somatic specialist health services. The data includes activity in public hospitals and private hospitals that provide publicly funded services.
The sample consists of emergency inpatient contacts for COPD for patients aged 75 years or older. To be counted as an admission for COPD one of the following criteria must be met: *Primary diagnosis (ICD-10) J40 - J44 *Primary diagnosis R06.0, J09-J11, J12-J18, J20, J22, J46 or J96 combined with J40-J44 as secondary diagnosis.
To avoid systematic bias resulting from routine transfers between hospitals, transfers have been taken into account. If the admission for one hospital stay occurs less than eight hours after the discharge from a previoys stay, the two hospital stays have been combined and counted as one.
The place of treatment is divided into three categories:
In order to compare the catchment areas and between years, the rates have been adjusted for gender and age. The adjustment was done using the direct method with the countrys population in 2023 as the reference population.
SKDE is solely responsible for the interpretation and presentation of the data provided by NPR. FHI/NPR is not responsible for analyses or interpretations based on the data.
