Abstract

MAUES, Cristiane Ribeiro et al. Epidemiology of elderly interned in infirmary of medical clinic at public hospital. Rev. Para. Med. [online]. 2007, vol.21, n.3, pp.31-36. ISSN 0101-5907.

OBJECTIVE: analyze the epidemiology of elderly interned in infirmary of medical clinic. METHOD: transversal study realized in Ophir Loyola Hospital, since october to december of 2005, through the information collected from 30 aged with 65 years or more, random selected, between protocols containing sex, age, educational status, civil state, financial resources, social environment, emotional aspects, functional and cognitive capacities, cause of internment, procedures, problems and hospital permanency time. RESULTS: 18 (60%) was men and 12 (40%) women, more than 93% with less than 85 years, 63,33% with first grade incomplete, 50% was married, mensal income of 1 minimal salary in 80% of the patients an 66,6% with important role on familiar bills. More than 56% denied social environment habits, 63,3% do not showed depression tendency. At the functional evaluation, 53,3% was independent for the diary life activities. Cerebrovascular accident, in 23,33%, was the main cause of internation, vesical sounding was made in 10 (33,33%) of the patients, with 6 of these evaluating to infection, and the hospital permanency time had a medium of 21,9 days. CONCLUSION: predominance of men, with 65-74 years, with low educational status, married, living together with the partner, having important financial role in family, little social environment, without depression tendency, independents for the self-care and with cognitive capacity preserved. The main cause of internment was cerebrovascular accident, the vesical sounding the more realized procedure, urinary tract infection the main intercurrence and the hospital permanency time was prolonged.

Keywords : elderly; hospitalization; epidemiology.

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