HOSPITALIZATIONS DUE TO ACUTE LARYNGITIS AND TRACHEITIS IN THE SOUTHERN REGION OF BRAZIL BETWEEN 2014 AND 2024: TRENDS AND ASSOCIATED FACTORS

Abstract

Introduction: Upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) are one of the leading causes of pediatric care, contributing significantly to child morbidity, especially in developing countries. Among these infections, acute laryngitis and tracheitis are prominent, mainly affecting young children. Objective: To analyze the trends in hospitalizations for acute laryngitis and tracheitis in the Southern Region of Brazil, considering distribution by gender, ethnicity, age group, length of hospital stay, and hospital costs. Methodology: This is an epidemiological, observational, descriptive, and quantitative study, based on secondary records from the Hospital Information System (SIH) of DATASUS. Patients hospitalized with a diagnosis of acute laryngitis and tracheitis (ICD-10: J04) between 2014 and 2024 were included, totaling 11 years of evaluated data. Results: Hospitalizations were identified in both sexes, with an average of 609 annual admissions for men (SD = 310) and 437 for women (SD = 244), with males being the most affected (58.24% of cases). The Shapiro-Wilk test confirmed the normality of the data (WW = 0.954, p = 0.692 for men; WW = 0.945, p = 0.586 for women). White ethnicity predominated in hospitalizations (1,133 in 2015 and 1,229 in 2017), followed by mixed race. There was an increase in hospital costs over time, with an average cost of hospitalization in 2024 of R$529.55 for men and R$511.78 for women. The average length of stay was longer for men (Mean = 1677.64 days) compared to women (Mean = 1234.82 days). Conclusion: The study showed a higher frequency of hospitalizations for acute laryngitis and tracheitis in males, as well as a predominance of white ethnicity in the Southern Region of Brazil. There was also a progressive increase in hospital costs, highlighting the need for public policies that improve prevention, early diagnosis, and proper management of these pathologies to reduce morbidity and associated costs.