HOSPITALIZATIONS FOR CHRONIC SINUSITIS IN THE BRAZILIAN UNIFIED HEALTH SYSTEM, 2015–2025: HOSPITAL PROFILE, MORTALITY, AND TEMPORAL TRENDS

Abstract

Objective: To characterize hospitalizations for chronic sinusitis in the Brazilian Hospital Information System from 2015 to 2025 and assess in-hospital mortality and temporal trends. Methods: Retrospective ecological time-series study using hospital admission authorizations processed by place of hospitalization with a principal diagnosis of ICD-10 J32. Sex, age group, region, admissions, mean length of stay, deaths, and in-hospital mortality were analyzed. Pearson chi-square and Fisher-Freeman-Halton Monte Carlo tests were used for death outcomes, with Holm adjustment; relative risks and ordinal and temporal trends were estimated. Results: A total of 33,675 hospitalizations were processed, with a mean length of stay of 1.8 days, 101 deaths, and 0.30% in-hospital mortality. Women accounted for 51.5% of records, patients aged 50–59 years for 19.4%, and the Southeast for 52.4%. Mortality differed across age groups (adjusted p=0.006); patients aged 60 years or older had a 2.88-fold higher risk of death than those younger than 60 years (95%CI 1.94–4.28). Sex, region, and year were not significantly associated with mortality. Admissions decreased by 45.6% between 2019 and 2020 and reached 5,007 in 2025. Conclusion: Hospital utilization was concentrated among middle-aged adults and in the Southeast, with a marked interruption in 2020 followed by recovery. Age was the main marker associated with mortality; these findings describe SUS-funded hospitalizations and do not estimate population incidence or prevalence.