Affiliations: Preventive Medicine & Public Health Unit,
Health Sciences Department I, Rey Juan Carlos University, Madrid, Spain
Note: [] Correspondence: Dr. Juana María Santos-Sancho, Preventive
Medicine & Public Health Unit, Health Sciences I Department, Rey Juan
Carlos University, Avda Atenas s/n (Alcorcón), Madrid, Spain. Tel.: +34
914888673; Fax: +34 914888955; E-mail: [email protected]
Abstract: Measles causes considerable morbidity and mortality and can present
serious complications despite the existence of effective vaccines. The
objective of this study was to estimate the incidence of hospitalizations from
measles in Spain from 1997 to 2006. A retrospective study was conducted using
data from the National Epidemiological Surveillance System for hospital data
(hospital discharge minimum basic data set) and information was obtained on the
incidence of hospitalizations, age, of stay, mortality, and associated costs.
In this period, 347 hospitalizations from measles (International Classification
of Diseases-9, clinical modification code 055 in any diagnostic position) were
recorded, which equals an overall annual hospitalization rate of 0.086 per
100,000 inhabitants. The hospitalization rate significantly changed during two
outbreaks that occurred during the study time period. The median length of stay
was 5 days. There were five deaths over the 10 year period; all patients who
died were over 30 years of age. The death rate in hospitalized measles cases
was 1.4%. The annual average total cost due to hospitalizations for the
National Health System was 81,540 Euros. The epidemiological pattern suggests
that despite the vaccination success, there are groups susceptible to falling
ill, as is demonstrated by the outbreaks that occurred. Therefore, the World
Health Organization recommendations for the elimination of measles must be
carefully followed, so that the number of hospitalizations and of complications
entailed with the disease continue to decrease.
