Hospitalizations for Sepsis in Elderly People in Bahia in 2019 to 2023: An Ecological Study

Abstract

Sepsis is defined by the presence of organ dysfunction as a result of an infectious process or disease, and represents a serious public health problem in Brazil and worldwide, especially when it affects patients at the extremes of age and with lower immunological status. A study carried out in more than 200 Brazilian intensive care units pointed to sepsis as the cause of 30% of bed occupancy and mortality of 55% of patients. Therefore, conducting a study on the profile of hospitalizations for sepsis involving the elderly will allow the identification, prevention, and optimized proportions of clinical management in this age group. Objective: to describe the profile of hospitalizations due to sepsis in the elderly and the behavior of the total number of these records in the state of Bahia between the years 2019 and 2023. Methods: an ecological time-series study was carried out based on epidemiological data obtained from notifications from the Hospital Information System of the SUS (SIH/SUS) and the Department of Informatics of the Unified Health System (DATASUS). The data were collected in 2023, but depict notifications for the period from 2019 to 2023. Results: There was a greater trend of hospitalization in elderly people over 80 years of age, hospitalizations occurring on an urgent or emergency basis with mortality higher than 50% of patients. Conclusion: the high number of hospitalizations and the high mortality rate in the elderly make it imperative to standardize the identification of signs, systematize the management and early treatment of patients with strong suspicion or confirmation of sepsis.