Thomas P. Broughan
Ceist:228 Mr. Broughan asked the Minister for Health and Children the statistical hip bone fracture rate since statistics were first recorded. [15114/98]
Written Answers. - Bone Fracture Incidence.
Information on hospitalisation for fractures is collected through the hospital in-patient enquiry, HIPE, system. This system provides details for each hospital discharge from publicly-funded acute hospitals and in recent years has achieved close to 100 per cent coverage. Activity in private hospitals is not included in the HIPE system. In 1994, 1995, 1996 and 1997 the HIPE returns for the numbers of hospitalisations with a principal diagnosis of fracture of the neck of the femur were, respectively, 3,600, 3,597, 3,738, and 3,689. Based on the 1995 figure, the age-standardised hospitalisation rate for this type of fracture is 88 per 100,000 population per year. The rate for males is 55 per 100,000 population while the female rate is nearly double the male rate at 109 per 100,000 population.