Perfil epidemiológico de Morbidade Hospitalar por Asma no Brasil, entre 2019 e 2023: Estudo Ecológico

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Asthma is a chronic disease of the airways, characterized by inflammation and narrowing of the bronchi, leading to symptoms such as shortness of breath, wheezing, coughing and chest tightness. It can be triggered by allergens, pollutants, infections or climate changes. Treatment includes medications and strategies to avoid triggers. This study analyzes hospitalizations, costs and demographic characteristics of patients with asthma in Brazil, with the aim of informing health policies to reduce their impact. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to analyze hospital admissions for Asthma in Brazil from January 2019 to December 2023, with emphasis on distribution by age group, patient sex, types of care and hospital costs. METHODOLOGY: This is a quantitative retrospective study using data from the SUS Hospital Information System (SIH/SUS), accessed via the TABNET/DATASUS secondary database. Hospitalizations, age group, patient sex, types of care and hospital costs for Asthma in Brazil between January 2019 and December 2023 were analyzed. The analysis used descriptive statistics and tabulation in a Microsoft Excel 2016 spreadsheet, with results presented in tables in Microsoft Word 10. RESULTS: Between January 2019 and December 2023, 354,115 hospitalizations for asthma were recorded in Brazil. The Northeast Region led with 34.84% of hospitalizations, followed by the Southeast (33.12%) and South (15.74%). The total cost of hospital services was R$214,575,468.32, with the Southeast presenting the highest expenditure (R$81,948,416.47). The most affected age group was 1 to 4 years old, with 114,324 hospitalizations. The majority of admissions were urgent (97.08%) and there was a predominance of males (50.62%). CONCLUSION: Between 2019 and 2023, Brazil recorded 354,115 hospitalizations for asthma, with the Northeast Region leading in number of cases and the Southeast Region in costs. The majority of hospitalizations were urgent and predominantly affected children aged 1 to 4 years. The analysis points to the urgent need for prevention and outpatient management strategies to reduce hospitalizations and costs, in addition to focusing on the most vulnerable age groups.