ACUTE PANCREATITIS IN THE BRAZILIAN PUBLIC HEALTH SYSTEM (SUS): A NATIONAL EPIDEMIOLOGICAL ANALYSIS BETWEEN 2015 AND 2024 BASED ON DATA FROM THE SIH/SUS

Abstract

Objective: To analyze the epidemiological profile of hospitalizations and in-hospital deaths due to acute pancreatitis in Brazil according to age group and sex from 2015 to 2024. Methods: This was an ecological, retrospective, and descriptive study with a quantitative approach, based on secondary public-domain data obtained from the Hospital Information System of the Brazilian Unified Health System (SIH/SUS), available through DATASUS. Hospitalizations for acute pancreatitis were analyzed according to age group and sex, and in-hospital deaths were analyzed according to sex. Descriptive statistics were used, including absolute and relative frequencies and in-hospital lethality. Results: A total of 345,992 hospitalizations for acute pancreatitis were recorded in Brazil during the study period. Hospitalizations were more frequent among adults aged 30 to 59 years, especially in the 40 to 49-year age group, which accounted for 68,973 admissions. Males accounted for 183,080 hospitalizations and 9,933 deaths, whereas females accounted for 162,912 hospitalizations and 7,099 deaths. Overall in-hospital lethality was 4.92%, with a higher rate among males. Conclusion: Acute pancreatitis showed a greater hospital burden among middle-aged adults and a greater impact on males, highlighting the epidemiological relevance of age and sex in the distribution of the disease and its hospital outcomes.