HOSPITALIZATIONS FOR PNEUMONIA IN BRAZIL: A COMPARISON BETWEEN THE PRE- AND POST-PANDEMIC PERIOD.

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the impact of hospitalizations due to pneumonia infections in a hospital setting between the years 2018 and 2024, as well as the changes that occurred before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic. This is an observational, descriptive, and quantitative research utilizing data obtained from the Datasus platform and the SUS Hospital Morbidity System (SIH/SUS), as well as data from platforms such as PubMed and Scielo. The results evidenced an 80.6% reduction in pneumonia hospitalizations during the study period. Despite the reduction, an increase in the average length of hospital stay and deaths was observed during the COVID-19 pandemic years, indicating greater complexity and severity of cases. Older adults represented the majority of deaths in all regions, while child mortality did not show significance in the analyzed data. The pandemic modified the epidemiological profile in Brazil, indicating the importance of continuous surveillance, updating clinical protocols, and strengthening primary health care. The drop in hospitalizations, although significant, is not synonymous with improved pneumonia outcomes, also reflecting changes in access to health services and the prioritization of care for patients with COVID-19 and pneumonia.