Dados do Trabalho

Título

A panorama of neurological emergencies during COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil

Resumo

Introduction
Population aging changed the demographic profile of the Brazilian population, generating an epidemiological transition. Hence, there was an increase in the incidence of neurological emergencies such as stroke, meningitis, epilepsy, and headache. COVID-19 changed those dynamics, making it necessary to understand the new panorama of neurological emergencies.
Objective
Analyze how the panorama of neurological emergencies has changed with COVID-19, in respect to hospitalizations, deaths, and mortality rates.
Method
This is an ecological time-series study, which used the Health Information System database (TABNET), made available by the Department of Informatics of the Unified Health System (DATASUS). In the SUS Hospital Information System (SIH/SUS), hospitalizations, deaths, and mortality rates of the major neurological emergencies in the country (stroke, meningitis, epilepsy, and headaches) were collected, using secondary data from the public domain, dispensing ethical appreciation. The range was from 02/2020 (beginning of COVID-19 in Brazil) to 04/2022.
Results
For strokes, hospitalizations peaked 10/2021, with 16951 cases and an average (avg) of 14272.85, and a linear trendline shows a slightly decreasing trend (SDT); for deaths, a peak of 2759 in 07/2021 with an avg of 2157.3, SDT; mortality rates peaked with 17.33 in 03/2021, avg of 15.06, and SDT. For meningitis, hospitalizations peaked 03/2020, with 556 cases and an avg of 369.67, SDT; for deaths, a peak of 62 on 01/2022 with an avg of 32.74, SDT; mortality rates peaked at 12.55 on 01/2022, avg of 8.83, and slightly increasing trend (SIT). For epilepsy, hospitalizations peaked 12/2021, with 5189 cases and an avg of 4199.70, SIT; for deaths, a peak of 153 on 06/2021 with an avg of 110.63, SIT; mortality rates peaked at 3.28 on 01/2022, avg of 2.63, SIT. For headaches, hospitalizations peaked 02/2020, with 1000 cases and an avg of 683.40, SDT. For headaches, only hospitalization data was available.
Conclusion
Strokes had a SDT in all analyzed factors. For meningitis, mortality rates increased. Epilepsy increased in all factors that were analyzed. The rate of hospitalizations due to headaches slightly decreased. These results show that meningitis was deadlier and that epilepsy cases may require more attention. A hypothesis would be that patients chose to wait longer to receive proper care due to the pandemic. More studies are necessary to better understand these dynamics.

Palavras Chave

Ambulatory Care; Epidemiology; Data Analysis; COVID-19.