1.1.1 Hospital treatment (morbidity)
In 2009–10, there were 104,614 hospital separations reported with a drug-related principal diagnosis; this represented 1% of all hospital separations for that period (Table 10.10). Drug-related hospital separations refer to hospital care with selected principal diagnoses of drug use disorder or harm (accidental, intended or self-inflicted) due to selected drugs. Some of the drugs identified in the principal diagnosis as shown in Table 10.10 are available by prescription or can be legally purchased, including alcohol and tobacco. Therefore, a proportion of the separations reported here may result from harm arising from the therapeutic use of drugs. The inclusion of therapeutic use may mean the burden of drugs and alcohol on the hospital system appears larger than might be expected.
Table 10.10: Hospital separations by drug-related principal diagnosis and duration[SUP](a)(b)[/SUP], 2009–10 (number and per cent)
[TABLE="width: 605"]
[TR]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="colspan: 2"]Same-day separations[/TD]
[TD="colspan: 2"]Overnight separations[/TD]
[TD="colspan: 2"]Total separations[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]No.[/TD]
[TD]Per cent[/TD]
[TD]No.[/TD]
[TD]Per cent[/TD]
[TD]No.[/TD]
[TD]Per cent[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Analgesics[/TD]
[TD="colspan: 6"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Opioids (includes heroin, opium and methadone)[/TD]
[TD]2,662[/TD]
[TD]6.2[/TD]
[TD]4,863[/TD]
[TD]7.9[/TD]
[TD]7,525[/TD]
[TD]7.2[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Non-opioid analgesics (includes paracetamol)[/TD]
[TD]1,839[/TD]
[TD]4.3[/TD]
[TD]4,842[/TD]
[TD]7.8[/TD]
[TD]6,681[/TD]
[TD]6.4[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Total analgesics[/TD]
[TD]4,501[/TD]
[TD]10.5[/TD]
[TD]9,705[/TD]
[TD]15.7[/TD]
[TD]14,206[/TD]
[TD]13.6[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Sedatives and hypnotics[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Alcohol[/TD]
[TD]28,606[/TD]
[TD]67.0[/TD]
[TD]32,519[/TD]
[TD]52.5[/TD]
[TD]61,125[/TD]
[TD]58.4[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Other sedatives and hypnotics (includes barbiturates and benzodiazepines; excludes alcohol)[/TD]
[TD]3,364[/TD]
[TD]7.9[/TD]
[TD]7,038[/TD]
[TD]11.4[/TD]
[TD]10,402[/TD]
[TD]9.9[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Total sedatives and hypnotics[/TD]
[TD]31,970[/TD]
[TD]74.8[/TD]
[TD]39,557[/TD]
[TD]63.9[/TD]
[TD]71,527[/TD]
[TD]68.4[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Stimulants and hallucinogens[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Cannabinoids (includes cannabis)[/TD]
[TD]1,071[/TD]
[TD]2.5[/TD]
[TD]2,293[/TD]
[TD]3.7[/TD]
[TD]3,364[/TD]
[TD]3.2[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Hallucinogens (includes LSD and ecstasy)[/TD]
[TD]86[/TD]
[TD]0.2[/TD]
[TD]83[/TD]
[TD]0.1[/TD]
[TD]169[/TD]
[TD]0.2[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Cocaine[/TD]
[TD]131[/TD]
[TD]0.3[/TD]
[TD]159[/TD]
[TD]0.3[/TD]
[TD]290[/TD]
[TD]0.3[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Tobacco and nicotine[/TD]
[TD]27[/TD]
[TD]0.1[/TD]
[TD]23[/TD]
[TD]0.0[/TD]
[TD]50[/TD]
[TD]0.0[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Other stimulants (includes amphetamines, volatile nitrates and caffeine)[/TD]
[TD]1110[/TD]
[TD]2.6[/TD]
[TD]2072[/TD]
[TD]3.3[/TD]
[TD]3182[/TD]
[TD]3.0[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Total stimulants and hallucinogens[/TD]
[TD]2,425[/TD]
[TD]5.7[/TD]
[TD]4,630[/TD]
[TD]7.5[/TD]
[TD]7,055[/TD]
[TD]6.7[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Antidepressants and antipsychotics[/TD]
[TD]1,982[/TD]
[TD]4.6[/TD]
[TD]5,558[/TD]
[TD]9.0[/TD]
[TD]7,540[/TD]
[TD]7.2[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Volatile solvents[/TD]
[TD]326[/TD]
[TD]0.8[/TD]
[TD]454[/TD]
[TD]0.7[/TD]
[TD]780[/TD]
[TD]0.7[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Other drugs of concern and conditions[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Multiple drug use[/TD]
[TD]1,479[/TD]
[TD]3.5[/TD]
[TD]1,854[/TD]
[TD]3.0[/TD]
[TD]3,333[/TD]
[TD]3.2[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Unspecified drug use and other drugs not elsewhere classified[/TD]
[TD]36[/TD]
[TD]0.1[/TD]
[TD]107[/TD]
[TD]0.2[/TD]
[TD]143[/TD]
[TD]0.1[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Fetal and perinatal related conditions[/TD]
[TD]–[/TD]
[TD]–[/TD]
[TD]30[/TD]
[TD]<0.1[/TD]
[TD]30[/TD]
[TD]<0.1[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Total other drugs of concern and conditions[/TD]
[TD]3,823[/TD]
[TD]8.9[/TD]
[TD]8,003[/TD]
[TD]12.9[/TD]
[TD]11,826[/TD]
[TD]11.3[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Total[/TD]
[TD]42,719[/TD]
[TD]100[/TD]
[TD]61,895[/TD]
[TD]100[/TD]
[TD]104,614[/TD]
[TD]100[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]