Incidence of gastric and duodenal ulcers: epidemiological study of clinical and hospital aspects

Abstract

Introduction: Gastric and duodenal ulcers are common gastrointestinal conditions that affect a significant portion of the world's population, impacting quality of life and, in severe cases, requiring medical intervention. Gastroduodenal peptic ulcer is a heterogeneous disease that consists of circumstantial tissue loss. It results from an imbalance between aggressive factors, such as gastric acid and pepsin, and the protective factors of the gastrointestinal mucosa, leading to inflammation, abdominal pain and, potentially, more serious complications. In addition, it can be classified by location, being gastric and/or duodenal, and by cause, being primary or secondary. Objectives: This article aims to provide a quantitative and temporal analysis of the epidemiological characteristics of gastric and duodenal ulcers from January 2014 to June 2024. Methodology: This is a retrospective epidemiological study with a quantitative approach, based on data from the health information department of the Unified Health System (SUS). The variables used were: hospital admissions, deaths, age group, color/race, sex, hospital costs, and health macroregion. Results: Among 117,955 cases, it was possible to observe the prevalence of the Southeast region in terms of the number of hospital admissions, number of deaths, higher hospital costs, and longer average length of stay, when compared to other regions of the country. Conclusion: Therefore, the study on the incidence of gastric and duodenal ulcers is a topic of great relevance in the health area, and requires effective actions to face this problem in a comprehensive and efficient way, seeking to solve this public health problem, mainly in the Southeast region of the country.