NA Not available.
1 Based on Census Bureau estimated civilian populationas of July 1.Beginning with 1997, population figures are adjusted for net underenumeration usingthe 1990 National Population Adjustment Matrix from the US Census Bureau. Comparisonsof selected statistics based on matrix adjusted populations with those based onnonadjusted populations for data years 1995 and 1996 show little differencebetween the two sets of estimates.
2 Average length of stay and rates per 1,000 population are age-adjusted.
3 Includes other first-listed diagnoses not shown separately.

Source: U.S. National Center for Health Statistics,Health, United States, 2000 and previous editions.

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/

*Terms relating to hospitalization

Discharge rate--The ratio of the number of hospitaldischarges during a year to the number of persons in thecivilian population on July 1 of that year.

Days of care--The number of patient days accumulated atthe time of discharge by a patient. A stay of less than 1 day(patient admission and discharge on the same day) is countedas 1 day in the summation of total days of care. For patientsadmitted and discharged on different days, the number of daysof care is computed by counting all days from (and including)the date of admission to (but not including) the date ofdischarge.

Rate of days of care--The ratio of the number of days ofcare accumulated during a year to the number of persons in thecivilian population on July 1 of that year.

Average length of stay--The number of days of careaccumulated by patients discharged during the year divided bythe number of these discharges.

Diagnosis--A disease or injury (or factor that influenceshealth status and contact with health services that is not itself acurrent illness or injury) listed on the medical record of a patient.Principal diagnosisThe condition established after studyto be chiefly responsible for occasioning the admission of thepatient to the hospital for care.

First-listed diagnosis--The diagnosis specified as theprincipal diagnosis on the face sheet or discharge summary ofthe medical record, or if the principal diagnosis is not speci-fied,the diagnosis listed first on the face sheet or dischargesummary of the medical record (see the Medical coding andedit section of appendix I). The number of first-listed diag-nosesis equivalent to the number of discharges.