Patients with Parkinson's are living longer with new treatments, but they are increasingly being admitted to hospitals, according to a study in the Journal of Parkinson's Disease.
Researchers used the Hospital Inpatient Enquiry system in Ireland to examine data from between 2009 and 2012, looking at 12,437 discharges of Parkinson's patients over age 65 and 1,223 discharges of Parkinson's patients under age 65.
The most common reasons for hospital admission of Parkinson's patients were:
- Urinary tract infections
- Pneumonia
- Lower respiratory tract infections
- Aspiration pneumonia
- Femur fracture
The majority (87 percent) of admissions were via the emergency department.
Most of the reasons for admission could be targets for preventative care to reduce the number of ED visits and hospital admissions, according to the researchers.
"It is clear from this research that focus and investment is required at primary and community care levels to maintain people with PD in good health and continuing to live in their own homes and communities," said lead investigator Olive Lennon, PhD.