Drug abuse discharges from non-federal short-stay hospitals.

An analysis of inpatient drug abuse cases was done using the National Hospital Discharge Survey (NHDS). An estimated two million discharges with a drug abuse diagnosis occurred in non-federal short-stay hospitals during 1979-85, a figure which is believed to be an underestimate. Compared to other hospital inpatients, drug abuse inpatients are more likely to be male, ages 15-44, and other than White race. Increases in hospital use for drug abuse treatment were found to have occurred between 1979 and 1985, with discharge rates per 10,000 population increasing from 3.1 to 6.0 for drug dependence and from 3.8 to 7.7 for nondependent drug abuse. Concurrent increases in availability of hospital-based inpatient drug and alcohol treatment programs and insurance coverage for drug abuse treatment were found to have occurred during the same period.