HOSPITALIZATIONS FOR AMBULATORY CARE SENSITIVE CONDITIONS IN CHILDREN IN MARANHÃO: TRENDS IN ASTHMA HOSPITALIZATIONS, 2023–2025

Abstract

This study aimed to describe the evolution of asthma hospitalizations among children under 10 years of age residing in Maranhão, Brazil, from 2023 to 2025, according to year, month, age group, sex, and municipality of residence. This ecological, descriptive, retrospective study used aggregated data from the Brazilian Unified Health System Hospital Information System and population denominators from the 2024 revision of IBGE population projections. Records with a principal diagnosis of ICD-10 J45–J46 were analyzed, and frequencies and annual hospitalization rates per 100,000 children were calculated. A total of 6,298 hospitalizations were recorded: 2,444 in 2023, 1,922 in 2024, and 1,932 in 2025. Annual rates were 227.34, 182.86, and 188.57 per 100,000, respectively. Children aged 1–4 years accounted for 50.59% of hospitalizations, and boys for 57.49%. The highest monthly counts occurred in April and May, without statistical confirmation of seasonality. Records were concentrated in some municipalities, particularly Governador Nunes Freire. Hospitalizations decreased between 2023 and 2025, but not continuously, with a slight increase in 2025. These findings support surveillance of this indicator and prioritization of follow-up for children aged 1–4 years, without allowing causal attribution to Primary Health Care performance.