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  <front>
    <journal-meta>
      <journal-id journal-id-type="publisher-id">abc</journal-id>
      <journal-title-group>
        <journal-title>Arquivos Brasileiros de Cardiologia</journal-title>
        <abbrev-journal-title abbrev-type="publisher">Arq. Bras. Cardiol.</abbrev-journal-title>
      </journal-title-group>
      <issn pub-type="ppub">0066-782X</issn>
      <issn pub-type="epub">1678-4170</issn>
      <publisher>
        <publisher-name>Sociedade Brasileira de Cardiologia - SBC</publisher-name>
        <publisher-loc>S&#227;o Paulo, SP, Brazil</publisher-loc>
      </publisher>
    </journal-meta>
    <article-meta>
      <article-id pub-id-type="publisher-id" specific-use="scielo-v3">9pBgXVgsQDWQSVLGCLt7rdz</article-id>
      <article-id pub-id-type="other">00007</article-id>
      <article-id pub-id-type="publisher-id" specific-use="scielo-v2">S0066-782X2011001400007</article-id>
      <article-id pub-id-type="publisher-id" specific-use="scielo-v1">S0066-782X(11)09700507</article-id>
      <article-id pub-id-type="doi">10.1590/S0066-782X2011005000096</article-id>
      <article-categories>
        <subj-group subj-group-type="heading">
          <subject>Artigos Originais</subject>
        </subj-group>
      </article-categories>
      <title-group>
        <article-title>Hospitaliza&#231;&#227;o e mortalidade por insufici&#234;ncia card&#237;aca em hospitais p&#250;blicos no munic&#237;pio de S&#227;o Paulo</article-title>
      </title-group>
      <contrib-group>
        <contrib contrib-type="author">
          <name>
            <surname>Godoy</surname>
            <given-names>Henrique L.</given-names>
          </name>
          <xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff01"/>
        </contrib>
        <contrib contrib-type="author">
          <name>
            <surname>Silveira</surname>
            <given-names>Jos&#233; A.</given-names>
          </name>
          <xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff01"/>
        </contrib>
        <contrib contrib-type="author">
          <name>
            <surname>Segalla</surname>
            <given-names>Eduardo</given-names>
          </name>
          <xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff01"/>
        </contrib>
        <contrib contrib-type="author">
          <name>
            <surname>Almeida</surname>
            <given-names>Dirceu R.</given-names>
          </name>
          <xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff01"/>
        </contrib>
      </contrib-group>
      <aff id="aff01">
        <addr-line>
          <named-content content-type="state">S&#227;o Paulo</named-content>
        </addr-line>
        <institution content-type="orgname">Universidade Federal de S&#227;o Paulo</institution>
        <country country="BR">Brazil</country>
      </aff>
      <pub-date date-type="collection" publication-format="electronic">
        <month>11</month>
        <year>2011</year>
      </pub-date>
      <volume>97</volume>
      <issue>5</issue>
      <fpage>402</fpage>
      <lpage>407</lpage>
      <history>
        <date date-type="accepted">
          <day>21</day>
          <month>06</month>
          <year>2011</year>
        </date>
        <date date-type="rev-recd">
          <day>05</day>
          <month>06</month>
          <year>2011</year>
        </date>
        <date date-type="received">
          <day>15</day>
          <month>02</month>
          <year>2011</year>
        </date>
      </history>
      <permissions>
        <license license-type="open-access" xlink:href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/" xml:lang="en">
          <license-p>This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.</license-p>
        </license>
      </permissions>
      <abstract>
        <p>FUNDAMENTO: Os avan&#231;os no tratamento da insufici&#234;ncia card&#237;aca (IC) resultaram em redu&#231;&#227;o da taxa de mortalidade e de hospitaliza&#231;&#227;o. Por outro lado, quando hospitalizados, os pacientes apresentam alto risco de &#243;bito. OBJETIVO: Como s&#227;o poucos os estudos com esse grupo de pacientes no Brasil, analisamos os n&#250;meros de interna&#231;&#227;o e &#243;bito por IC no SUS do munic&#237;pio de S&#227;o Paulo. M&#201;TODOS: Estudo prospectivo hist&#243;rico realizado entre 1992 e 2010. Os dados foram obtidos no DATASUS. Utilizamos os testes qui-quadrado e T para a compara&#231;&#227;o entre os per&#237;odos 1992-1993 e 2008-2009 e modelos de regress&#227;o log&#237;stica quando apropriado. O n&#237;vel de signific&#226;ncia considerado foi de 5%. RESULTADOS: Houve redu&#231;&#227;o de 32% no n&#250;mero de interna&#231;&#245;es por IC entre 1992-1993 e 2008-2009 (p = 0,002). A taxa de mortalidade hospitalar por IC foi de 15%, com aumento de 15% no per&#237;odo (p = 0,004). Entre 1992-1993, o tempo m&#233;dio de hospitaliza&#231;&#227;o por IC foi de 8,8 dias. Entre 2008-2009, 11,3 dias (p = 0,001). Agosto foi o m&#234;s com maior incid&#234;ncia de interna&#231;&#245;es por IC, 20% maior do que fevereiro, m&#234;s de menor incid&#234;ncia (p = 0,041). CONCLUS&#195;O: Este estudo apresentou as modifica&#231;&#245;es nas tend&#234;ncias de hospitaliza&#231;&#227;o e mortalidade hospitalar por IC ao longo das duas &#250;ltimas d&#233;cadas. Ressaltamos importantes implica&#231;&#245;es: 1&#186;: redu&#231;&#227;o em 32% no n&#250;mero de interna&#231;&#245;es por IC em hospitais do SUS no munic&#237;pio de S&#227;o Paulo; 2&#186;: aumento de 25% no tempo de hospitaliza&#231;&#227;o; e 3&#186;: padr&#227;o sazonal de interna&#231;&#227;o por IC, com pico no terceiro trimestre.</p>
      </abstract>
      <kwd-group xml:lang="pt" kwd-group-type="author-generated">
        <kwd>Insufici&#234;ncia card&#237;aca</kwd>
        <kwd>hospitaliza&#231;&#227;o</kwd>
        <kwd>hospitais municipais</kwd>
        <kwd>hospitais p&#250;blicos</kwd>
      </kwd-group>
      <pub-date publication-format="electronic" date-type="pub">
        <day>07</day>
        <month>10</month>
        <year>2011</year>
      </pub-date>
    </article-meta>
  </front>
  <body>
    <p>
      <bold>Hospitaliza&#231;&#227;o e mortalidade por insufici&#234;ncia card&#237;aca em hospitais p&#250;blicos no munic&#237;pio de S&#227;o Paulo</bold>
    </p>
    <p>
      <bold>Henrique L. Godoy; Jos&#233; A. Silveira; Eduardo Segalla; Dirceu R. Almeida</bold>
    </p>
    <p>Universidade Federal de S&#227;o Paulo, SP, Brasil</p>
    <p>
      <xref ref-type="corresp" rid="back">Correspond&#234;ncia</xref>
    </p>
    <p>
      <bold>RESUMO</bold>
    </p>
    <p><bold>FUNDAMENTO: </bold> Os avan&#231;os no tratamento da insufici&#234;ncia card&#237;aca (IC) resultaram em redu&#231;&#227;o da taxa de mortalidade e de hospitaliza&#231;&#227;o. Por outro lado, quando hospitalizados, os pacientes apresentam alto risco de &#243;bito. </p>
    <p><bold>OBJETIVO: </bold> Como s&#227;o poucos os estudos com esse grupo de pacientes no Brasil, analisamos os n&#250;meros de interna&#231;&#227;o e &#243;bito por IC no SUS do munic&#237;pio de S&#227;o Paulo. </p>
    <p><bold>M&#201;TODOS: </bold> Estudo prospectivo hist&#243;rico realizado entre 1992 e 2010. Os dados foram obtidos no DATASUS. Utilizamos os testes qui-quadrado e T para a compara&#231;&#227;o entre os per&#237;odos 1992-1993 e 2008-2009 e modelos de regress&#227;o log&#237;stica quando apropriado. O n&#237;vel de signific&#226;ncia considerado foi de 5%. </p>
    <p><bold>RESULTADOS: </bold> Houve redu&#231;&#227;o de 32% no n&#250;mero de interna&#231;&#245;es por IC entre 1992-1993 e 2008-2009 (p = 0,002). A taxa de mortalidade hospitalar por IC foi de 15%, com aumento de 15% no per&#237;odo (p = 0,004). Entre 1992-1993, o tempo m&#233;dio de hospitaliza&#231;&#227;o por IC foi de 8,8 dias. Entre 2008-2009, 11,3 dias (p = 0,001). Agosto foi o m&#234;s com maior incid&#234;ncia de interna&#231;&#245;es por IC, 20% maior do que fevereiro, m&#234;s de menor incid&#234;ncia (p = 0,041). </p>
    <p><bold>CONCLUS&#195;O:</bold> Este estudo apresentou as modifica&#231;&#245;es nas tend&#234;ncias de hospitaliza&#231;&#227;o e mortalidade hospitalar por IC ao longo das duas &#250;ltimas d&#233;cadas. Ressaltamos importantes implica&#231;&#245;es: 1&#186;: redu&#231;&#227;o em 32% no n&#250;mero de interna&#231;&#245;es por IC em hospitais do SUS no munic&#237;pio de S&#227;o Paulo; 2&#186;: aumento de 25% no tempo de hospitaliza&#231;&#227;o; e 3&#186;: padr&#227;o sazonal de interna&#231;&#227;o por IC, com pico no terceiro trimestre.</p>
    <p><bold>Palavras-chave: </bold> Insufici&#234;ncia card&#237;aca/mortalidade, hospitaliza&#231;&#227;o, hospitais municipais, hospitais p&#250;blicos.</p>
    <p>
      <bold>INTRODU&#199;&#195;O</bold>
    </p>
    <p>Nas &#250;ltimas d&#233;cadas, a insufici&#234;ncia card&#237;aca (IC) emergiu como um problema de sa&#250;de p&#250;blica<sup>1</sup>. Kannel<sup>2</sup>, a partir de dados epidemiol&#243;gicos obtidos no <italic>Framinghan Heart Study</italic>, estima que, nos Estados Unidos, existam cinco milh&#245;es de portadores de IC, com incid&#234;ncia de aproximadamente 400 mil novos casos por ano. No Brasil, presume-se que o problema tenha a mesma magnitude. Dados do Minist&#233;rio da Sa&#250;de de 2006 sugerem preval&#234;ncia de dois milh&#245;es de portadores de IC, sendo esta uma das principais causas de hospitaliza&#231;&#227;o entre as doen&#231;as cardiovasculares no Sistema &#218;nico de Sa&#250;de (SUS)<sup>3</sup>.</p>
    <p>Por outro lado, diversos ensaios cl&#237;nicos demonstraram que o uso de betabloqueadores (&#223;Bloq), inibidores de enzima conversora de angiotensina (IECA) e de inibidores de aldosterona, associado ao uso de cardioversores implant&#225;veis e ressincronizadores card&#237;acos, pode aumentar a sobrevida e reduzir as taxas de hospitaliza&#231;&#227;o<sup>4-8</sup>.</p>
    <p>Pacientes que necessitam de hospitaliza&#231;&#227;o, contudo, apresentam alto risco para &#243;bito e reinterna&#231;&#227;o<sup>9,10</sup>. S&#227;o poucos os estudos direcionados especificamente a esse grupo de pacientes, e as informa&#231;&#245;es sobre as caracter&#237;sticas cl&#237;nicas e o progn&#243;stico nessa popula&#231;&#227;o ainda s&#227;o limitadas. Desse modo, o presente estudo tem por objetivo analisar o n&#250;mero de interna&#231;&#245;es e &#243;bitos por IC entre 1992 e 2010 em hospitais do SUS do munic&#237;pio de S&#227;o Paulo.</p>
    <p>
      <bold>M&#233;todos</bold>
    </p>
    <p>Estudo prospectivo hist&#243;rico realizado entre 1992 a 2010. Os dados epidemiol&#243;gicos foram obtidos no banco de dados do Departamento de Inform&#225;tica do SUS (DATASUS), oriundos do formul&#225;rio "Autoriza&#231;&#227;o de Interna&#231;&#227;o Hospitalar" (AIH), documento preenchido pelo m&#233;dico respons&#225;vel no momento da interna&#231;&#227;o hospitalar. Foram inclu&#237;dos os dados referentes a pacientes com idade superior a 20 anos, cujo diagn&#243;stico prim&#225;rio de interna&#231;&#227;o tenha sido IC. As estimativas populacionais foram obtidas a partir dos censos demogr&#225;ficos do Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estat&#237;stica (IBGE).</p>
    <p>A taxa de mortalidade hospitalar por IC foi considerada a raz&#227;o entre a quantidade de &#243;bitos por IC e o n&#250;mero de pacientes internados com diagn&#243;stico prim&#225;rio de IC no per&#237;odo correspondente. O c&#225;lculo de coeficiente de mortalidade populacional por IC foi obtido dividindo-se o n&#250;mero de &#243;bitos hospitalares por IC pela popula&#231;&#227;o do munic&#237;pio no per&#237;odo correspondente. Foram utilizados os teste qui-quadrado ou teste T para a compara&#231;&#227;o entre os per&#237;odos 1992-1993 e 2008-2009 e modelos de regress&#227;o log&#237;stica quando apropriado. O n&#237;vel de signific&#226;ncia considerado foi 5%.</p>
    <p>
      <bold>Resultados</bold>
    </p>
    <p>Entre 1992 e 2010, em hospitais do SUS do munic&#237;pio de S&#227;o Paulo, 194.098 pacientes foram hospitalizados por IC (10.783 pacientes/ano; &#177; 2.740), sendo 95.219 do sexo feminino (49,0%), com predom&#237;nio de pacientes com idade entre 60 e 79 anos (<xref ref-type="table" rid="t1">Tabela 1</xref>). Na s&#233;rie hist&#243;rica, considerando-se os per&#237;odos 1992-1993 e 2008-2009, observou-se redu&#231;&#227;o de 32% no n&#250;mero de interna&#231;&#245;es por IC (p = 0,002) (<xref ref-type="fig" rid="f1">Figura 1</xref>).</p>
    <table-wrap id="t1">
      <graphic xlink:href="1678-4170-abc-97-05-0402-00096-gt01.jpg"/></table-wrap>
    <fig id="f1">
      <graphic xlink:href="1678-4170-abc-97-05-0402-00096-gf01.jpg"/></fig>
    <p>A taxa de mortalidade hospitalar por IC no per&#237;odo foi de 15% (&#177; 1,02%), com aumento de 15% ao longo do per&#237;odo de observa&#231;&#227;o (p = 0,004) (<xref ref-type="fig" rid="f2">Figura 2</xref>). O coeficiente de mortalidade populacional por IC apresentou redu&#231;&#227;o de 71% no per&#237;odo: de 1,91 &#243;bitos por IC/10.000 habitantes entre 1992-1993 para 1,36/10.000 habitantes em 2008-2009 (p = 0,03) (<xref ref-type="fig" rid="f3">Figura 3</xref>).</p>
    <fig id="f2">
      <graphic xlink:href="1678-4170-abc-97-05-0402-00096-gf02.jpg"/></fig>
    <fig id="f3">
      <graphic xlink:href="1678-4170-abc-97-05-0402-00096-gf03.jpg"/></fig>
    <p>O tempo m&#233;dio de interna&#231;&#227;o por IC foi de 10 dias (&#177; 1,0), com aumento progressivo ao longo do per&#237;odo de observa&#231;&#227;o (<xref ref-type="fig" rid="f4">Figura 4</xref>). No bi&#234;nio 2008-2009, o tempo m&#233;dio de hospitaliza&#231;&#227;o foi de 11,3 dias, 25% maior do que no bi&#234;nio 1992-1993 (8,8 dias) (p = 0,001).</p>
    <fig id="f4">
      <graphic xlink:href="1678-4170-abc-97-05-0402-00096-gf04.jpg"/></fig>
    <p>Como se observa na <xref ref-type="fig" rid="f5">Figura 5</xref>, houve varia&#231;&#227;o sazonal no n&#250;mero de interna&#231;&#245;es por IC no munic&#237;pio de S&#227;o Paulo, com maiores &#237;ndices em julho, agosto e setembro. O m&#234;s de maior incid&#234;ncia de interna&#231;&#245;es foi agosto, com 18.466 interna&#231;&#245;es, 20% maior do que fevereiro, m&#234;s de menor incid&#234;ncia (p = 0,041).</p>
    <fig id="f5">
      <graphic xlink:href="1678-4170-abc-97-05-0402-00096-gf05.jpg"/></fig>
    <p>
      <bold>Discuss&#227;o</bold>
    </p>
    <p>Esta an&#225;lise evidenciou significativa redu&#231;&#227;o no n&#250;mero de interna&#231;&#245;es hospitalares e no coeficiente de mortalidade populacional por IC no munic&#237;pio de S&#227;o Paulo. Como nosso estudo abrangeu o per&#237;odo da consolida&#231;&#227;o da moderna terapia para IC, em que a redu&#231;&#227;o da mortalidade e da necessidade de hospitaliza&#231;&#227;o foi reiteradamente demonstrada<sup>4-8</sup>, &#233; plaus&#237;vel supor que esses resultados tenham sido obtidos pela maior adequa&#231;&#227;o &#224;s diretrizes de tratamento da IC<sup>11</sup> oferecido pelos m&#233;dicos na rede p&#250;blica do munic&#237;pio. No estudo MAHLER<sup>12</sup>, observou-se que a simples ades&#227;o dos m&#233;dicos prescritores &#224;s recomenda&#231;&#245;es das diretrizes europeias foi preditor progn&#243;stico em pacientes com IC. Apesar de diversos estudos internacionais demonstrarem que a prescri&#231;&#227;o dos tratamentos recomendados para IC ainda &#233; sub&#243;tima<sup>13,14</sup>, no estudo EVEREST<sup>15</sup>, no momento da randomiza&#231;&#227;o, 93% dos pacientes sul-americanos utilizavam IECA e 56%, &#223;BLOQ. Em uma observa&#231;&#227;o brasileira, Baliero e cols.<sup>16</sup> observaram utiliza&#231;&#227;o de IECA e &#223;BLOQ em mais de 70% dos pacientes com diagn&#243;stico de IC.</p>
    <p>Ao longo do per&#237;odo analisado, observamos aumento da taxa de mortalidade hospitalar e do tempo de interna&#231;&#227;o por IC. De forma inversa, Bueno e cols.<sup>17</sup> observaram que, em pacientes norte-americanos, houve redu&#231;&#227;o do tempo de hospitaliza&#231;&#227;o e da mortalidade hospitalar por IC ao longo de 14 anos. Por&#233;m, esses autores encontraram significativo aumento da mortalidade domiciliar e da taxa de reospitaliza&#231;&#227;o. Tais achados sugerem a crescente complexidade nos pacientes hospitalizados por IC, particularmente naqueles que apresentam maior risco, como os pacientes mais idosos, com insufici&#234;ncia renal e doen&#231;a pulmonar cr&#244;nica<sup>18</sup>. Por outro lado, observa&#231;&#245;es do registro ADHERE<sup>19</sup> fornecem pistas sobre como melhorar a qualidade do servi&#231;o m&#233;dico oferecido. Neste estudo, a redu&#231;&#227;o das taxas de mortalidade e de tempo de interna&#231;&#227;o foi obtida concomitantemente ao aumento do cumprimento das recomenda&#231;&#245;es de qualidade no atendimento de IC, como avalia&#231;&#227;o da fun&#231;&#227;o ventricular durante a interna&#231;&#227;o e prescri&#231;&#227;o precoce de IECA<sup>20</sup>.</p>
    <p>Tamb&#233;m observamos aumento significativo de interna&#231;&#245;es por IC nos meses de inverno, padr&#227;o previamente relatado em estudos realizados em pa&#237;ses de clima temperado<sup>21-23</sup>. Diversos mecanismos est&#227;o envolvidos com esse padr&#227;o: maior ativa&#231;&#227;o neuro-humoral em temperaturas mais baixas, redu&#231;&#227;o de perda h&#237;drica por transpira&#231;&#227;o e perspira&#231;&#227;o e, principalmente, aumento na incid&#234;ncia de infec&#231;&#245;es respirat&#243;rias<sup>24</sup>. Esses dados refor&#231;am a necessidade de haver um controle rigoroso da ingest&#227;o hidrosalina no inverno e da vacina&#231;&#227;o contra <italic>Influenza</italic> e <italic>Pneumococcus,</italic> sobretudo nas localidades de grandes modifica&#231;&#245;es clim&#225;ticas entre as esta&#231;&#245;es do ano, conforme orientado na III Diretriz Brasileira de Insufici&#234;ncia Card&#237;aca Cr&#244;nica<sup>4</sup>.</p>
    <p>Nosso estudo apresenta limita&#231;&#245;es: a confiabilidade das informa&#231;&#245;es apresentadas pelo banco de dados do DATASUS &#233; restringida pelo n&#237;vel de acur&#225;cia e de completitude das AIH preenchidas. Al&#233;m disso, as observa&#231;&#245;es obtidas neste estudo n&#227;o podem ser generalizadas para todo o munic&#237;pio de S&#227;o Paulo, visto que apenas os hospitais do SUS do munic&#237;pio foram inclu&#237;dos na an&#225;lise. A despeito dessas limita&#231;&#245;es, nosso estudo apresentou, de forma &#250;nica, a possibilidade de se avaliarem as modifica&#231;&#245;es nas tend&#234;ncias de hospitaliza&#231;&#227;o e mortalidade hospitalar por IC ao longo das duas &#250;ltimas d&#233;cadas. Tais observa&#231;&#245;es permitem acompanhar a efic&#225;cia do atendimento m&#233;dico oferecido, com o objetivo de adequar as pol&#237;ticas referentes ao tratamento do paciente com IC.</p>
    <p>Nesse contexto, ressaltamos tr&#234;s importantes implica&#231;&#245;es: 1&#186;: redu&#231;&#227;o em 32% no n&#250;mero de interna&#231;&#245;es por IC em hospitais do SUS no munic&#237;pio de S&#227;o Paulo; 2&#186;: aumento de 25% no tempo de hospitaliza&#231;&#227;o e 3&#186;: padr&#227;o sazonal de interna&#231;&#227;o por IC, com pico no terceiro trimestre.</p>
    <p>
      <fn id="back" fn-type="corresp">
        <p>Correspond&#234;ncia:</p>
        <p> Henrique L. Godoy  </p>
        <p> Av. Bosque da Sa&#250;de, 834 / 153 - 04142-081 - Sa&#250;de </p>
        <p> S&#227;o Paulo, SP, Brasil </p>
        <p> E-mail: </p>
        <p><email xlink:href="godoy.henrique@gmail.com">godoy.henrique@gmail.com</email>, </p>
        <p>
          <email xlink:href="h.godoy@cardiol.br">h.godoy@cardiol.br</email>
        </p>
      </fn>
    </p>
    <p>Artigo recebido em 15/02/11; revisado recebido em 05/06/11; aceito em 21/06/11.</p>
  </body>
  <back>
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  <sub-article article-type="translation" id="TRen" xml:lang="en">
    <front-stub>
      <article-categories>
        <subj-group subj-group-type="heading">
          <subject>Original Articles</subject>
        </subj-group>
      </article-categories>
      <title-group>
        <article-title xml:lang="en">Hospitalization and mortality rates for heart failure in public hospitals in S&#227;o Paulo</article-title>
      </title-group>
      <abstract xml:lang="en">
        <p>BACKGROUND: Advances in the treatment of heart failure (HF) have resulted in reduced mortality and hospitalization rates. On the other hand, when hospitalized, patients are at high risk of death. OBJECTIVE: As there are few studies in this group of patients in Brazil, we analyzed the numbers of hospitalization and deaths due to HF in the Brazilian Public Health System (SUS) in the city of S&#227;o Paulo. METHODS: Historical prospective study carried out between 1992 and 2010. The data were obtained from DATASUS. We used Chi-square and t tests for comparison between the periods 1992-1993 and 2008-2009 and logistic regression models when appropriate. The level of significance was set at 5%. RESULTS: There was a 32% decrease in the number of hospitalizations for HF between 1992-1993 and 2008-2009 (p = 0.002). The in-hospital mortality rate for HF was 15%, with a 15% increase in the period (p = 0.004). Between 1992 and 1993, the mean time of hospitalization for HF was 8.8 days. Between 2008 and 2009, it was 11.3 days (p = 0.001). August was the month with the highest incidence of hospitalizations for HF, 20% higher than in February, the month with the lowest incidence (p = 0.041). CONCLUSION: This study showed changes in trends of hospitalization for HF and mortality over the last two decades. We emphasize important implications: 1: 32% decrease in the number of hospitalizations for HF in SUS hospitals in S&#227;o Paulo; 2: 25% increase in hospitalization time, and 3: seasonal pattern of hospitalization for HF, with a peak in the third quarter.</p>
      </abstract>
      <kwd-group xml:lang="en">
        <kwd>Heart failure</kwd>
        <kwd>hospitalization</kwd>
        <kwd>hospitals</kwd>
        <kwd>municipal</kwd>
        <kwd>hospitals</kwd>
        <kwd>public</kwd>
      </kwd-group>
    </front-stub>
    <body>
      <p>
        <fn id="top-body2">
          <label>
            <bold>Hospitalization and mortality rates for heart failure in public hospitals in S&#227;o Paulo</bold>
          </label>
          <p>
            <bold>Henrique L. Godoy; Jos&#233; A. Silveira; Eduardo Segalla; Dirceu R. Almeida</bold>
          </p>
        </fn>
      </p>
      <p>Universidade Federal de S&#227;o Paulo, SP, Brazil</p>
      <p>Mailing Address</p>
      <p>
        <bold>ABSTRACT</bold>
      </p>
      <p><bold>BACKGROUND: </bold> Advances in the treatment of heart failure (HF) have resulted in reduced mortality and hospitalization rates. On the other hand, when hospitalized, patients are at high risk of death.</p>
      <p> OBJECTIVE: As there are few studies in this group of patients in Brazil, we analyzed the numbers of hospitalization and deaths due to HF in the Brazilian Public Health System (SUS) in the city of S&#227;o Paulo.</p>
      <p> METHODS: Historical prospective study carried out between 1992 and 2010. The data were obtained from DATASUS. We used Chi-square and t tests for comparison between the periods 1992-1993 and 2008-2009 and logistic regression models when appropriate. The level of significance was set at 5%.</p>
      <p><bold>RESULTS:</bold> There was a 32% decrease in the number of hospitalizations for HF between 1992-1993 and 2008-2009 (p = 0.002). The in-hospital mortality rate for HF was 15%, with a 15% increase in the period (p = 0.004). Between 1992 and 1993, the mean time of hospitalization for HF was 8.8 days. Between 2008 and 2009, it was 11.3 days (p = 0.001). August was the month with the highest incidence of hospitalizations for HF, 20% higher than in February, the month with the lowest incidence (p = 0.041).</p>
      <p><bold>CONCLUSION:</bold> This study showed changes in trends of hospitalization for HF and mortality over the last two decades. We emphasize important implications: 1: 32% decrease in the number of hospitalizations for HF in SUS hospitals in S&#227;o Paulo; 2: 25% increase in hospitalization time, and 3: seasonal pattern of hospitalization for HF, with a peak in the third quarter. </p>
      <p><bold>Keywords:</bold> Heart failure/mortality; hospitalization; hospitals, municipal; hospitals, public.</p>
      <p>
        <bold>Introduction</bold>
      </p>
      <p>In recent decades, heart failure (HF) has emerged as a public health problem<sup>1</sup>. Kannel<sup>2</sup>, based on epidemiological data obtained from the Framingham Heart Study, estimates there are five million patients with HF in the United States, with an incidence of approximately 400,000 new cases per year. In Brazil, the same magnitude is presumed for this disease. Data from the Ministry of Health in 2006 suggest a prevalence of two million patients with HF, which is a major cause of hospitalization among the cardiovascular diseases in the Brazilian Public Health System (SUS)<sup>3</sup>.</p>
      <p>On the other hand, several clinical trials have shown that the use of beta-blockers (&#223;b), angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEi), aldosterone inhibitors, associated with the use of implantable cardioverters and cardiac resynchronizers can increase survival and reduce hospitalization rates<sup>4-8</sup>.</p>
      <p>Patients who require hospitalization, however, are at high risk for death and re-hospitalization<sup>9, 10</sup>. There are few studies directed specifically at this group of patients, and information about the clinical features and prognosis in this population is still limited. Thus, this study aims at analyzing the number of hospitalizations and deaths due to HF between 1992 and 2010 in SUS hospitals in the city of S&#227;o Paulo.</p>
      <p>
        <bold>Methods</bold>
      </p>
      <p>Historical prospective study carried out from 1992 to 2010. Epidemiological data were obtained from the database of the Informatics Department of SUS (DATASUS), based on the "Authorization for Hospitalization" (AIH) form, a document filled out by the physician in charge at the time of hospitalization. We included data on patients older than 20 years whose primary diagnosis for hospital admission was HF. Population estimates were obtained from the demographic censuses of the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE).</p>
      <p>The in-hospital mortality rate for HF was considered the ratio between the number of deaths due to HF and the number of patients admitted with a primary diagnosis of HF in the corresponding period. Calculation of the population mortality rate for HF was obtained by dividing the number of in-hospital deaths due to HF by the city population in the corresponding period. The Chi-square or <italic>t</italic> tests were used for comparison between the periods 1992-1993 and 2008-2009 and logistic regression models were used when appropriate. The level of significance was set at 5%.</p>
      <p>
        <bold>Results</bold>
      </p>
      <p>Between 1992 and 2010, in SUS hospitals in S&#227;o Paulo, a total of 194,098 patients were hospitalized for HF (10,783 patients/year, &#177; 2,740) of whom 95,219 were females (49.0%), with a predominance of patients aged 60 and 79 years (<xref ref-type="table" rid="t1-body2">Table 1</xref>). In the historical series, considering the periods 1992-1993 and 2008-2009, there was a 32% decrease in the number of hospitalizations for HF (p = 0.002) (<xref ref-type="fig" rid="f1-body2">Figure 1</xref>).</p>
      <table-wrap id="t1-body2">
        <graphic xlink:href="1678-4170-abc-97-05-0402-00096-gt01-en.jpg"/></table-wrap>
      <fig id="f1-body2">
        <graphic xlink:href="1678-4170-abc-97-05-0402-00096-gf01-en.jpg"/></fig>
      <p>The in-hospital mortality rate for HF during the period was 15% (&#177; 1.02%), an increase of 15% over the observation period (p = 0.004) (<xref ref-type="fig" rid="f2-body2">Figure 2</xref>). The population mortality rate for HF had a 71% decrease in the period: from 1.91 deaths for HF/10.000 inhabitants between 1992 and 1993 to 1.36/10,000 inhabitants in 2008 to 2009 (p = 0.03) (<xref ref-type="fig" rid="f3-body2">Figure 3</xref>).</p>
      <fig id="f2-body2">
        <graphic xlink:href="1678-4170-abc-97-05-0402-00096-gf02-en.jpg"/></fig>
      <fig id="f3-body2">
        <graphic xlink:href="1678-4170-abc-97-05-0402-00096-gf03-en.jpg"/></fig>
      <p>The mean hospital stay for HF was 10 days (&#177; 1.0), with a progressive increase during the observation period (<xref ref-type="fig" rid="f4-body2">Figure 4</xref>). In the 2008-2009 period, the mean hospital stay was 11.3 days, 25% higher than in the 1992-1993 period (8.8 days) (p = 0.001).</p>
      <fig id="f4-body2">
        <graphic xlink:href="1678-4170-abc-97-05-0402-00096-gf04-en.jpg"/></fig>
      <p>As shown in <xref ref-type="fig" rid="f5-body2">Figure 5</xref>, there was a seasonal variation in the number of hospitalizations for HF in S&#227;o Paulo, with the highest rates seen in July, August and September. The month with the highest incidence of hospital admissions was August, with 18,466 admissions, 20% higher than in February, the month with the lowest incidence (p = 0.041).</p>
      <fig id="f5-body2">
        <graphic xlink:href="1678-4170-abc-97-05-0402-00096-gf05-en.jpg"/></fig>
      <p>
        <bold>Discussion</bold>
      </p>
      <p>This analysis showed significant decrease in hospital admissions and population mortality rates for HF in S&#227;o Paulo. As our study covered the period of consolidation of modern therapy for HF, in which the decrease in mortality and need for hospitalization has been repeatedly demonstrated<sup>4-8</sup>, it is reasonable to suppose that these results have been obtained due to the more appropriate use of guidelines for HF treatment<sup>11</sup> offered by physicians in the public healthcare system of the municipality.</p>
      <p>The MAHLER study<sup>12</sup> showed that the simple fact that prescribing physicians adhered to the recommendations of European guidelines was a prognostic predictor in patients with HF. Although several international studies have shown that the prescription of treatments recommended for HF is still suboptimal<sup>13,14</sup>, in the EVEREST study<sup>15</sup>, at the moment of randomization, 93% of the South Americans patients used ACEi and 56%, &#223;b. In a Brazilian study, Baliero et al<sup>16</sup> observed the use of ACEi and &#223;b in more than 70% of the patients diagnosed with HF.</p>
      <p>Throughout the analyzed period, we observed an increased hospital mortality rate and hospitalization time for HF. Inversely, Bueno et al<sup>17</sup> observed that in North-American patients, there was a decreased length of hospital stay and hospital mortality for HF over 14 years. However, these authors found significantly increased in-home mortality and re-hospitalization rates. These findings suggest a growing complexity in patients hospitalized for HF, particularly those at higher risk, such as elderly patients, those with kidney failure and chronic lung disease<sup>18</sup>.</p>
      <p>On the other hand, observations of the ADHERE<sup>19</sup> registry provide clues on how to improve the quality of the offered medical care. In this study, the decrease in mortality rates and length of hospitalization was obtained concomitantly with the increase in compliance with the recommendations of healthcare quality in HF, such as evaluation of ventricular function during hospitalization and early prescription of ACEi<sup>20</sup>.</p>
      <p>We also observed a significant increase in hospitalizations for HF during the winter months, a pattern previously reported in studies of countries with temperate climates<sup>21-23</sup>. Several mechanisms are involved in this pattern: increased neurohumoral activation at lower temperatures, decreased water loss by transpiration and perspiration and, especially, increased incidence of respiratory infections<sup>24</sup>. These data reinforce the need for strict control of hydrosaline intake in winter and of vaccination against <italic>Influenza</italic> and <italic>Pneumococcus</italic>, particularly in cities that exhibit great climatic changes among the seasons, as shown in the III Brazilian Guidelines on Chronic Heart Failure<sup>4</sup>.</p>
      <p>Our study has limitations: the reliability of the information provided by the DATASUS database is restricted by the level of accuracy and completeness of AIH forms filled out by physicians. In addition, the observations obtained in this study cannot be generalized to the entire city of S&#227;o Paulo, as only SUS hospitals in the city were included in the analysis. Despite these limitations, our study showed the possibility to assess changes in trends of hospitalization and mortality rates for HF over the past two decades.</p>
      <p>These observations allow us to monitor the effectiveness of the offered medical care aiming at tailoring policies regarding the treatment of patients with HF.</p>
      <p>In this context, we highlight three important implications: 1<sup>st</sup>: reduction of 32% in the number of hospitalizations for HF in SUS hospitals in S&#227;o Paulo, 2<sup>nd</sup>: 25% increase in hospitalization time and 3<sup>rd</sup>: seasonal pattern of hospitalization for HF, showing a peak in the third quarter. </p>
      <p>
        <bold>References</bold>
      </p>
    </body>
  </sub-article>
</article>
