Hospital admissions for skin infections among Western Australian children and adolescents from 1996 to 2012

Tasnim Abdalla; David Hendrickx; Parveen Fathima; Roz Walker; Christopher C. Blyth; Jonathan R. Carapetis; Asha C. Bowen; Hannah C. Moore

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0188803

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Hospital admissions for skin infections among Western Australian children and adolescents from 1996 to 2012

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

Hospital admissions for skin infections among Western Australian children and adolescents from 1996 to 2012

Tasnim Abdalla, David Hendrickx, Parveen Fathima, Roz Walker, Christopher C. Blyth, Jonathan R. Carapetis, Asha C. Bowen and Hannah C. Moore

PloS One, Vol.12(11), e0188803

2017

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0188803

PMCID: PMC5708667

PMID: 29190667

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Abstract

Multidisciplinary Sciences

Science & Technology

Science & Technology - Other Topics

The objective of this study was to describe the occurrence of skin infection associated hospitalizations in children born in Western Australia (WA). We conducted a retrospective cohort study of all children born in WA between 1996 and 2012 (n = 469,589). Of these, 31,348 (6.7%) were Aboriginal and 240,237 (51.2%) were boys. We report the annual age-specific hospital admission rates by geographical location and diagnostic category. We applied log-linear regression modelling to analyse changes in temporal trends of hospitalizations. Hospitalization rates for skin infections in Aboriginal children (31.7/1000 child-years; 95% confidence interval [CI] 31.0-32.4) were 15.0 times higher (95% CI 14.5-15.5; P< 0.001) than those of non-Aboriginal children (2.1/1000 child-years; 95% CI 2.0-2.1). Most admissions in Aboriginal children were due to abscess, cellulitis and scabies (84.3%), while impetigo and pyoderma were the predominant causes in non-Aboriginal children (97.7%). Admissions declined with age, with the highest rates for all skin infections observed in infants. Admissions increased with remoteness. Multiple admissions were more common in Aboriginal children. Excess admissions in Aboriginal children were observed during the wet season in the Kimberley and during summer in metropolitan areas. Our study findings show that skin infections are a significant cause of severe disease, requiring hospitalization in Western Australian children, with Aboriginal children at a particularly high risk. Improved community-level prevention of skin infections and the provision of effective primary care are crucial in reducing the burden of skin infection associated hospitalizations. The contribution of sociodemographic and environmental risk factors warrant further investigation.

Details

Title: Hospital admissions for skin infections among Western Australian children and adolescents from 1996 to 2012
Authors/Creators: Tasnim Abdalla - The Kids Research Institute Australia
David Hendrickx - The Kids Research Institute Australia
Parveen Fathima - The Kids Research Institute Australia
Roz Walker - The Kids Research Institute Australia
Christopher C. Blyth - Princess Margaret Hospital for Children
Jonathan R. Carapetis - Princess Margaret Hospital for Children
Asha C. Bowen - The Kids Research Institute Australia
Hannah C. Moore - The Kids Research Institute Australia
Publication Details: PloS One, Vol.12(11), e0188803
Publisher: Public Library of Science
Number of pages: 14
Grant note: Stan Perron Charitable Trust APP1045668 / National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC); National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) of Australia University of Western Australia International Scholarship APP1000886 / NHMRC Centre for Research Excellence in Aboriginal Health and Wellbeing; National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) of Australia APP1111596; APP1034254; APP1088735 / NHMRC; National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) of Australia
Identifiers: 991005571168607891
Murdoch Affiliation: Ngangk Yira Institute for Change
Language: English
Resource Type: Journal article

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Collaboration types: Industry collaboration; Domestic collaboration
Citation topics: 1 Clinical & Life Sciences; 1.163 Parasitology - General; 1.163.2096 Scabies
Web Of Science research areas: Infectious Diseases
ESI research areas: Clinical Medicine