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Título

HOSPITALIZATIONS FOR VIRAL ENCEPHALITIS: AN ANALYSIS OF THE EPIDEMIOLOGICAL PROFILE IN BRAZIL IN THE YEARS 2019 TO 2021

Resumo

INTRODUCTION: Infectious encephalitis is defined as a group of diseases characterized by an inflammatory process of the brain caused by microorganisms, especially viruses, with evidence of neurological dysfunction. The clinical presentation may involve acute fever, headache, altered consciousness and focal neurological deficits, with high morbidity and mortality. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the epidemiology of hospitalizations for viral encephalitis in the SUS in Brazil between the years 2019 and 2021. METHODS: This research is a descriptive, observational, cross-sectional study of hospitalizations for viral encephalitis in SUS between the years 2019 and 2021. Data were collected in the DATASUS database, with investigation of the variables: region, age group, gender, number of hospitalizations, total value, mortality rate and days of stay. RESULTS: There were 5741 hospitalizations in the period, with 54% men and 46% women, with predominance in the Northeast (41.9%). As for age, the cases occurred more in the range between 1 and 4 years (16.8%) and less in the range of 80 years or more (2.3%). The total number of hospitalizations in the first year was 2436, being higher than the following years, which had 1689 and 1616 cases. The total costs were R$11.7M, with higher spending in the Northeast region (40.9%). The average total amounts per hospitalization were R$1913, R$2103, R$2153, respectively, in the years 2019, 2020, and 2021. The average mortality rate was 5.4%, with higher rates in those aged 60 to 69 years (10.5%), 70 to 79 years (10.3%), and 80 years or older (18.4%). The number of days of stay was highest in the 1- to 4-year age group, with 9121 total days, and lowest in the 80 years and older populations, with 1470 days. CONCLUSION: Based on the data, we noted a significant difference in the total number of hospitalizations throughout the years of the period, which makes it possible to suggest interference from the pandemic, requiring further studies on the subject from now on. It is also observed that, despite the lower number of hospitalizations among the elderly, this group had the highest mortality rates in the period, so as to suspect the importance of age during hospitalization and early diagnosis. Finally, it is worth mentioning the high financial investments evaluated, raising the importance of more extensive research capable of assessing both direct and indirect costs resulting from severe cases of viral encephalitis in Brazil.

Palavras Chave

Infectious Encephalitis; Hospitalization; Epidemiology and Biostatistics.