Hospitalisations in 2020-2021, pandemic year (AIHW)

* In 2020/2021, there were nearly 25,000 hospitalisations for asthma (in public and private hospitals), of which more than 10,000 (43%) were in children aged under 15.(ref 1, 5)
Nearly 90% of asthma hospitalisations (89.3%) were considered potentially preventable.(ref 1, 2)

Potentially Preventable Hospitalisations 2020/2021
State/Territory
ACT 374
NSW 6554
QLD 5704
SA 1597
NT 464
WA 1602
Victoria 5245
Tasmania 692
Australia 22,307

 

* The age-standardised hospitalisation rate for asthma for all ages combined was 100 per 100,000 population. It was markedly higher in chidren 0-14 (225 per 100,000) compared to people aged 15 and over (68 per 100,000). (ref 5)

* For age-specific hospitalisation rates, SEE FIGURE 14 from reference 5
Boys aged 0-14 were 1.6x as likely as girls to be hospitalised for asthma, while females 15 and over were 2.3x as likely as males to be hospitalised for asthma. (ref 5)

* Note that for hospitalisations due to all causes, following steady annual growth of 3.3% between 2014–15 and 2018–19, and a dip of 2.8% in 2019–20, hospitalisations increased by 6.3% nationally in 2020–21. This saw hospitalisations returning the trend to pre-pandemic years, and can be largely attributed to the easing of restrictions following the first waves of the COVID pandemic. (ref 3)

* A study conducted in two major hospital in Sydney also reported a 50-70% decrease in paediatric asthma hospitalisations during lockdown periods in 2020-21, stating potential explanations may be a reduction in respiratory infections, better outdoor air quality combined with less outdoor activities, and patients opting for telehealth appointments rather than hospital visits by fear of contracting COVID. (ref 4)

*For hospitalisations by PHN, see indicator 9, AIHW. Asthma. Data. Data tables: Asthma 2023. Table 9.1. https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/chronic-respiratory-conditions/asthma/data (ref 6)

Indicator 9. Hospital admissions due to asthma
Table 9.1:  Hospitalisations due to asthma per 100,000 population, by Primary Health Network (PHN) areas, 2020–21
State PHN code PHN area name Number Crude rate (per 100,000 population) Age-standardised rate per 100,000 population(a)
NSW PHN101 Central and Eastern Sydney 1,085 68.3 80.4
NSW PHN102 Northern Sydney 663 70.6 73.3
NSW PHN103 Western Sydney 1,422 135.5 136.9
NSW PHN104 Nepean Blue Mountains 407 106.1 107.3
NSW PHN105 South Western Sydney 1,108 105.3 104.1
NSW PHN106 South Eastern NSW 400 62.9 58.8
NSW PHN107 Western NSW 296 95.1 95.1
NSW PHN108 Hunter New England and Central Coast 1,278 98.4 101.0
NSW PHN109 North Coast 482 90.1 84.8
NSW PHN110 Murrumbidgee 295 119.2 123.1
VIC PHN201 North Western Melbourne 1,999 106.4 115.5
VIC PHN202 Eastern Melbourne 1,204 76.9 77.6
VIC PHN203 South Eastern Melbourne 1,496 92.9 94.8
VIC PHN204 Gippsland 284 96.5 94.7
VIC/NSW PHN205 Murray 516 81.3 82.8
VIC PHN206 Western Victoria 639 94.3 97.3
QLD PHN301 Brisbane North 1,316 124.3 112.1
QLD PHN302 Brisbane South 1,322 109.8 108.7
QLD PHN303 Gold Coast 606 94.2 92.7
QLD PHN304 Darling Downs and West Moreton 1,018 170.2 170.0
QLD PHN305 Western Queensland 131 206.4 246.2
QLD PHN306 Central Queensland, Wide Bay, Sunshine Coast 764 85.2 82.5
QLD PHN307 Northern Queensland 844 118.8 114.9
SA PHN401 Adelaide 1,407 110.0 112.0
SA PHN402 Country SA 539 104.7 113.2
WA PHN501 Perth North 617 55.0 54.4
WA PHN502 Perth South 575 54.7 54.4
WA PHN503 Country WA 509 93.0 95.7
TAS PHN601 Tasmania 719 127.6 119.2
NT PHN701 Northern Territory 490 196.8 200.5
ACT PHN801 Australian Capital Territory 400 88.8 90.4
National 24,831 96.8 96.4

 

First entry date: 19/07/2022; last update 13/02/2024

Categories: Hospitalisation
Author: Agnes
Entry Date: 13/02/2024
Source 1 Name: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Principal diagnosis data cubes [Internet]. Separation statistics by principle diagnosis (ICD-10-AM 11th edition), Australia 2020-21 .Canberra: Australian AIHW, 2022 [cited 19 Jul 2022]. (Note: open data cube Separation statistics by principal diagnosis 2020-21; navigate to tab 5-char PDx counts summary and add Sum of Separations for J45 and J46, tab 5-char PDx counts Data for age-specific hospitalisation counts)
Source 1 URL: https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/hospitals/principal-diagnosis-data-cubes/contents/data-cubes
Source 2 Name: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) 2022, Admitted patients 2020/21: Australian hospital statistics. Data download 8: Safety and quality of the health systems. Canberra: AIHW.Note: tab S8.2)
Source 2 URL: https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports-data/myhospitals/sectors/admitted-patients#more-data
Source 3 Name: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2022). AIHW media releases. Hospital admissions rose as COVID-19 restrictions eased in most staes and territories in 2020-21. 1 June 2022 (accessed 19 July 2022).
Source 3 URL: https://www.aihw.gov.au/news-media/media-releases/2021/june/hospital-admissions-rose-as-covid-19-restrictions
Source 4 Name: Homaira N, et al. Impact of lockdowns on paediatric asthma hospital presentations over three waves of COVID-19 pandemic. Allergy Asthma Clin Immunol. 2022 Jun 16;18(1):53. doi: 10.1186/s13223-022-00691-1.
Source 4 URL: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35710455/
Source 5 Name: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2023). Chronic respiratory conditions.
Source 5 URL: https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/chronic-respiratory-conditions/chronic-respiratory-conditions
Source 6 Name: AIHW. Asthma [Internet]. Asthma Data Tables. Table 9.1. Canberra: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2024 [cited 2025 Feb. 7]. Available from:
Source 6 URL: https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/chronic-respiratory-conditions/asthma