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Half of All Hospital Patients Have Coexisting Diseases ROCKVILLE, MD -- November 20, 2000 -- According to the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), more than half of all hospital patients have "co-morbidities" -- coexisting diseases which are not the main reason they were hospitalized, but which can complicate treatment and lengthen their stays. One in three hospital patients has two or more co-morbidities. A fifth have hypertension, or high blood pressure, in addition to their principal diagnosis. Hypertension can complicate treatment of a principal diagnosis, for example, by increasing the risk of a complicating stroke or heart attack. The second most common co-morbidity -- present in roughly 14 percent of patients -- are fluid and electrolyte disorders. These are, for example, abnormalities in a patient's potassium or sodium level, and they may indicate that the patient is significantly dehydrated. These disorders can complicate a hospital stay by increasing the risk of a complicating heart arrhythmia or unstable blood pressure. Nearly 11 percent of hospital patients suffer from emphysema or chronic bronchitis -- chronic lung diseases that can increase the risk of a complicating pneumonia during a hospital stay. Almost 10 percent have diabetes mellitus, and about 7 percent have an irregular heartbeat. E-mail this page to a friend or colleague! To print, use this version