Americans spent less time in hospitals in 1984.
The average length of stay dropped to 6.6 days last year from a national average of 6.9 days in 1983, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. Overall, 37.16 million Americans--excluding newborns--were hospitalized in acute-care facilities last year. Once in the hospital, Northeasterners stayed the longest for an average of 7.8 days. They were followed by North Central residents at 6.9 days, Southerners at 6.1 and Westerners at 5.7.
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