PROFILE OF HOSPITALIZATIONS FOR STROKE IN THE UNIFIED HEALTH SYSTEM IN THE STATE OF ALAGOAS, BRAZIL

Abstract

This study aimed to describe the epidemiological profile of hospital admissions for stroke in the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS) in the state of Alagoas, Brazil, from 2010 to 2024. This is an ecological and descriptive study using microdata from the SUS Hospital Information System (SIH/SUS) on admissions of Alagoas residents with a principal diagnosis of stroke (ICD-10 codes I60 to I64). Absolute and relative frequencies, admission rates per 10,000 inhabitants by year and Health Region of residence, and total and mean expenditure per admission, adjusted by the IPCA inflation index, were calculated. A total of 40,873 admissions were recorded, 87.3% of them for stroke not specified as hemorrhagic or ischemic. The rate was 7.8 per 10,000 inhabitants in 2010, reached its highest value in 2011 (10.8) and its lowest in 2020 (5.2), and was 9.9 in 2024. Most admissions involved men (52.1%), people aged 60 to 79 years (52.2%) and stays of up to seven days (67.5%). An Intensive Care Unit (ICU) was used in 20.6% of admissions, and in-hospital case fatality was 24.3%. The 7th Health Region had the highest mean rate for the period (11.4 per 10,000 inhabitants) and the 9th the lowest (5.4). Total expenditure was R$ 110.9 million, with a mean of R$ 2,713.46 per admission. Stroke admissions in Alagoas are concentrated among older adults and show high case fatality, little specification of stroke type and uneven distribution across Health Regions, which reinforces the need to strengthen prevention in Primary Health Care and the stroke care network in the state.