Abstract

MARTIN, Gilberto Berguio; JUNIOR, Luiz Cordoni; BASTOS, Yara Gerber Lima  and  SILVA, Poliana Vieira da. Hospital care to the elderly population in a southern Brazilian city. Epidemiol. Serv. Saúde [online]. 2006, vol.15, n.1, pp.59-65. ISSN 1679-4974.  http://dx.doi.org/10.5123/S1679-49742006000100005.

The article analyzes the strains that an aging population puts on hospital services, identifying selected local consequences on Brazil´s Unified Health System (SUS). Hospital morbidity among the elderly population in the Municipality of Londrina (Paraná State) were studied by means of secondary data sources available in the health system [Mortality Information System (SIM), and Hospital Information System (SIH)]. The elderly population (9.34% of the population) was responsible for 20.18% of hospital admissions, 22.12% of the number of days hospitalized, and 29.06% of hospital costs in SUS. Pneumonia was the primary cause of hospitalization and number of days hospitalized and ranked fourth for hospital costs. Heart attack and other ischemic cardiac diseases ranked first in costs, and third in both number and duration of hospitalizations.

Keywords : elderly population; hospitalizations; morbidity.

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