Health Care Utilization

Musculoskeletal infections were diagnosed in 119,900 children and adolescent health care visits in 2012, of which 78,800 had a primary diagnosis of musculoskeletal infection. Of this total, 14,900 children and adolescents were hospital discharges, with 9,100 hospitalizations for a primary diagnosis of a musculoskeletal infection. (Reference Table 7.1.1 PDF [1] CSV [2] and Table 7.1.2 PDF [3] CSV [4])

Males were more likely to be hospitalized with a musculoskeletal infection than females, as were children between the ages of 1 and 10 years. Musculoskeletal infections as a primary diagnosis accounted for 1.8% of hospital discharges for any musculoskeletal-related condition, but only 0.1% of hospital discharges for all health care reasons for children and adolescents age 20 years and younger. (Reference Table 7.2 PDF [5] CSV [6])