[Morbility at the Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía Manuel Velasco Suárez, 1995-2001].

UNLABELLED: Hospital statistics are very important as tools that help to define research objectives and design health programs.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the main causes of hospital morbility at the Manuel Velasco Suárez National Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery (MVS-NINN) between 1995 and 2001.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: Data were taken from the electronic database of morbidity and mortality of MVS-NINN. All outpatient records between 1995 and 2001 were considered. We calculated trends and specific rates of morbidity per 100 discharged patients.

RESULTS: The main causes of morbility were brain tumors, schizophrenic illness, neurocysticercosis, and stroke. We found a statistically significant declining time-trend of schizophrenic illness and in non-traumatic brain hemorrhage in males. In the case of females, we observed an increasing time-trend of benign meningeal tumors. The age groups more affected in both genders were those < 51 years of age.

CONCLUSIONS: This study is not a population study, but it helps to increase knowledge of the main causes of hospitalization at one of the most important neurologic institutions in the world, which provides care for thinsured population throughout Mexico. These findings facilitate analysis and decision-making to undertake specifications to improve the quality of neurologic medical attention.