Epidemiological profile of hospitalizations for the most prevalent infectious and bacterial diseases in children under 5 years, from 2017 to 2021 in Brazil

Abstract

Introduction: Hospitalization represents a considerable impact on the life of any person, and it can take on even greater proportions when it comes to a child. The impossibility of realizing their routine, such as playing and going to school, makes the hospitalization of children assume a remarkable context. That said, it is noted that a large part of these hospitalizations are preventable, and are called Ambulatory Care Sensitive Conditions (ACSC). Thus, quality ambulatory care could solve most childhood illnesses, avoiding this outcome. Objective: To elaborate an epidemiological profile of hospitalizations for the most prevalent infectious and bacterial diseases in children under 5 years of age from 2017 to 2021 in Brazil. Methodology: The research in question is an ecological study of time series, elaborated through information collected through secondary data sources. Data were collected from the DataSUS platform and the Hospital Information System. Subsequently, the data were processed and stored in Microsoft Excel® application, where they were treated and selected according to their relevance to the research. Results: It is observed that the age group below the first year of life presents a higher degree of hospitalization than children ranging from the first to the fourth complete year. As for the relative frequency, it can be seen that diarrhea and gastroenteritis of presumable infectious origin had the highest prevalence rate compared to other pathologies, with the highest number reaching 23.8% in 2017 and the lowest being in the range of 13.22% in 2020. Conclusions: Despite the advances in Primary Health Care and prenatal coverage, the assistance is still deficient, requiring more investments in the area and the promotion of public policies that cover this population.