[Hospital admissions of children for conditions treatable by ambulatory care in the community of Valencia]. / Ingresos hospitalarios infantiles por procesos susceptibles de cuidados ambulatorios en la Comunidad Valenciana.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the importance which ambulatory care sensitive conditions (ACSC) have for the child population of the Valencia Community during the period 1980 to 1988, taken from the Hospital Morbidity Survey (HMS). DESIGN: Descriptive, retrospective study. SETTING: Hospital discharges collected in the HMS from the Valencia Community. PATIENTS: Children under 15 years old. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The total percentage of hospital discharges from ACSC observed were 16, 13.2 and 10% for the provinces of Valencia, Castellón and Alicante respectively. The highest percentage was shown in the 1 to 4 year old age group (19%). The proportion of discharges for ACSC was higher in girls (15%) than in boys (13%). Children under one year old show the highest rates. Valencia has for the whole period the highest rate ratio than 1 of being hospitalised for ACSC. CONCLUSIONS: The magnitude of these conditions is important and suggest the possibility of their use as a monitoring instrument of certain health care activities.