Dalia Elena Romero Montilla

Inequalities in healthy life expectancy by Brazilian geographic regions: findings from the National Health Survey, 2013

BackgroundThe demographic shift and epidemiologic transition in Brazil have drawn attention to ways of measuring population health that complement studies of mortality. In this paper, we investigate regional differences in healthy life expectancy based on information from the National Health Survey (PNS), 2013.MethodsIn the survey, a three-stage cluster sampling (census tracts, households and individuals) with stratification of the primary sampling units and random selection in all stages was used to select 60,202 Brazilian adults (18 years and over). Healthy life expectancies (HLE) were estimated by Sullivan’s method according to sex, age and geographic region, using poor self-rated health for defining unhealthy status. Logistic regression models were used to investigate socioeconomic and regional inequalities in poor self-rated health, after controlling by sex and age.ResultsWide disparities by geographic region were found with the worst indicators in the North and Northeast regions, whether considering educational attainment, material deprivation, or health care utilization. Life expectancy at birth for women and men living in the richest regions was 5 years longer than for those living in the less wealthy regions. Modeling the variation across regions for poor self-rated health, statistically significant effects (p < 0.001) were found for the North and Northeast when compared to the Southeast, even after controlling for age, sex, diagnosis of at least one non-communicable chronic disease, and schooling or socioeconomic class. Marked regional inequalities in HLE were found, with the loss of healthy life much higher among residents of the poorest regions, especially among the elderly.ConclusionsBy combining data on self-rated health status and mortality in a single indicator, Healthy Life Expectancy, this study demonstrated the excess burden of poor health experienced by populations in the less wealthy regions of Brazil. To mitigate the effects of social exclusion, the development of strategies at the regional level is essential to provide health care to all persons in need, reduce risk exposures, support prevention policies for adoption of healthy behaviors. Such strategies should prioritize population groups that will experience the greatest impact from such interventions.

Hospitalization of older adults due to ambulatory care sensitive conditions

OBJECTIVE To analyze the temporal evolution of the hospitalization of older adults due to ambulatory care sensitive conditions according to their structure, magnitude and causes. METHODS Cross-sectional study based on data from the Hospital Information System of the Brazilian Unified Health System and from the Primary Care Information System, referring to people aged 60 to 74 years living in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Souhteastern Brazil. The proportion and rate of hospitalizations due to ambulatory care sensitive conditions were calculated, both the global rate and, according to diagnoses, the most prevalent ones. The coverage of the Family Health Strategy and the number of medical consultations attended by older adults in primary care were estimated. To analyze the indicators’ impact on hospitalizations, a linear correlation test was used. RESULTS We found an intense reduction in hospitalizations due to ambulatory care sensitive conditions for all causes and age groups. Heart failure, cerebrovascular diseases and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases concentrated 50.0% of the hospitalizations. Adults older than 69 years had a higher risk of hospitalization due to one of these causes. We observed a higher risk of hospitalization among men. A negative correlation was found between the hospitalizations and the indicators of access to primary care. CONCLUSIONS Primary healthcare in the state of Rio de Janeiro has been significantly impacting the hospital morbidity of the older population. Studies of hospitalizations due to ambulatory care sensitive conditions can aid the identification of the main causes that are sensitive to the intervention of the health services, in order to indicate which actions are more effective to reduce hospitalizations and to increase the population’s quality of life.

Análise clínica e epidemiológica das internações hospitalares de idosos decorrentes de intoxicações e efeitos adversos de medicamentos, Brasil, de 2004 a 2008

The elderly are more susceptible to adverse drugs effects due to a variety of factors, such as excessive and concomitant use of several drugs, administration errors, physiological changes in the body that alter the pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics. In order to determine the main therapeutic classes involved in hospital admissions of elderly people due to intoxication and adverse drug effects, as well as major health problems related to these events, 9,793 hospitalizations of people aged 60 or over registered in the Hospital Information System of the Unified Health System (SIH-SUS) in the period of 2004 to 2008 were analyzed. Unspecified drugs, systemic antibiotics, psychotropics, psychoactives, antiepileptics, sedatives, hypnotics and antiparkinsonians accounted for 57% of the total of admissions analyzed. Injuries and falls were the main health problems related to intoxication and adverse drug effects. Hospitalizations due to injuries were associated with analgesic, antipyretic and antirheumatic non-opioid. Falls were associated with systemic antibiotics, contradicting studies which point out psychotropic drugs as the main drug involved in these events. The results reflect the growing trend of problems associated with drug use by elderly people. It was verified that the consumption profile alone is not sufficient to explain the concentration of cases of the major therapeutic classes. We suggest the adoption of more effective programs of pharmacovigilance, capable of intervening at different stages of drug use: prescribing, dispensing, marketing, administration and compliance.The elderly are more susceptible to adverse drugs effects due to a variety of factors, such as excessive and concomitant use of several drugs, administration errors, physiological changes in the body that alter the pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics. In order to determine the main therapeutic classes involved in hospital admissions of elderly people due to intoxication and adverse drug effects, as well as major health problems related to these events, 9,793 hospitalizations of people aged 60 or over registered in the Hospital Information System of the Unified Health System (SIH-SUS) in the period of 2004 to 2008 were analyzed. Unspecified drugs, systemic antibiotics, psychotropics, psychoactives, antiepileptics, sedatives, hypnotics and antiparkinsonians accounted for 57% of the total of admissions analyzed. Injuries and falls were the main health problems related to intoxication and adverse drug effects. Hospitalizations due to injuries were associated with analgesic, antipyretic and antirheumatic non-opioid. Falls were associated with systemic antibiotics, contradicting studies which point out psychotropic drugs as the main drug involved in these events. The results reflect the growing trend of problems associated with drug use by elderly people. It was verified that the consumption profile alone is not sufficient to explain the concentration of cases of the major therapeutic classes. We suggest the adoption of more effective programs of pharmacovigilance, capable of intervening at different stages of drug use: prescribing, dispensing, marketing, administration and compliance.Publica, também, artigos para as seguintes seções:  Artigos Metodológicos: Artigos que se dedicam a analisar as diferentes técnicas utilizadas em estudos epidemiológicos;  Debate: destina-se a discutir diferentes visões sobre um mesmo tema, que poderá ser apresentado sob a forma de consenso/dissenso, artigo original seguido do comentário de outros autores, reprodução de mesas redondas e outras formas semelhantes;  Notas e Informações: notas prévias de trabalhos de investigação, bem como breves relatos de novos aspectos da epidemiologia, além de notícias relativas a eventos da área, lançamentos de livros e outros (máximo de 6.450 caracteres);  Cartas ao Editor: comentários de leitores sobre trabalhos publicados na Revista Brasileira de Epidemiologia (de 3.260 até 4.570 caracteres).

Clinical and epidemiological analysis of hospitalizations of elderly due to poisoning and adverse effects of medications, Brazil from 2004 to 2008

The elderly are more susceptible to adverse drugs effects due to a variety of factors, such as excessive and concomitant use of several drugs, administration errors, physiological changes in the body that alter the pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics. In order to determine the main therapeutic classes involved in hospital admissions of elderly people due to intoxication and adverse drug effects, as well as major health problems related to these events, 9,793 hospitalizations of people aged 60 or over registered in the Hospital Information System of the Unified Health System (SIH-SUS) in the period of 2004 to 2008 were analyzed. Unspecified drugs, systemic antibiotics, psychotropics, psychoactives, antiepileptics, sedatives, hypnotics and antiparkinsonians accounted for 57% of the total of admissions analyzed. Injuries and falls were the main health problems related to intoxication and adverse drug effects. Hospitalizations due to injuries were associated with analgesic, antipyretic and antirheumatic non-opioid. Falls were associated with systemic antibiotics, contradicting studies which point out psychotropic drugs as the main drug involved in these events. The results reflect the growing trend of problems associated with drug use by elderly people. It was verified that the consumption profile alone is not sufficient to explain the concentration of cases of the major therapeutic classes. We suggest the adoption of more effective programs of pharmacovigilance, capable of intervening at different stages of drug use: prescribing, dispensing, marketing, administration and compliance.The elderly are more susceptible to adverse drugs effects due to a variety of factors, such as excessive and concomitant use of several drugs, administration errors, physiological changes in the body that alter the pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics. In order to determine the main therapeutic classes involved in hospital admissions of elderly people due to intoxication and adverse drug effects, as well as major health problems related to these events, 9,793 hospitalizations of people aged 60 or over registered in the Hospital Information System of the Unified Health System (SIH-SUS) in the period of 2004 to 2008 were analyzed. Unspecified drugs, systemic antibiotics, psychotropics, psychoactives, antiepileptics, sedatives, hypnotics and antiparkinsonians accounted for 57% of the total of admissions analyzed. Injuries and falls were the main health problems related to intoxication and adverse drug effects. Hospitalizations due to injuries were associated with analgesic, antipyretic and antirheumatic non-opioid. Falls were associated with systemic antibiotics, contradicting studies which point out psychotropic drugs as the main drug involved in these events. The results reflect the growing trend of problems associated with drug use by elderly people. It was verified that the consumption profile alone is not sufficient to explain the concentration of cases of the major therapeutic classes. We suggest the adoption of more effective programs of pharmacovigilance, capable of intervening at different stages of drug use: prescribing, dispensing, marketing, administration and compliance.Publica, também, artigos para as seguintes seções:  Artigos Metodológicos: Artigos que se dedicam a analisar as diferentes técnicas utilizadas em estudos epidemiológicos;  Debate: destina-se a discutir diferentes visões sobre um mesmo tema, que poderá ser apresentado sob a forma de consenso/dissenso, artigo original seguido do comentário de outros autores, reprodução de mesas redondas e outras formas semelhantes;  Notas e Informações: notas prévias de trabalhos de investigação, bem como breves relatos de novos aspectos da epidemiologia, além de notícias relativas a eventos da área, lançamentos de livros e outros (máximo de 6.450 caracteres);  Cartas ao Editor: comentários de leitores sobre trabalhos publicados na Revista Brasileira de Epidemiologia (de 3.260 até 4.570 caracteres).

Revista Brasileira de Epidemiologia

The elderly are more susceptible to adverse drugs effects due to a variety of factors, such as excessive and concomitant use of several drugs, administration errors, physiological changes in the body that alter the pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics. In order to determine the main therapeutic classes involved in hospital admissions of elderly people due to intoxication and adverse drug effects, as well as major health problems related to these events, 9,793 hospitalizations of people aged 60 or over registered in the Hospital Information System of the Unified Health System (SIH-SUS) in the period of 2004 to 2008 were analyzed. Unspecified drugs, systemic antibiotics, psychotropics, psychoactives, antiepileptics, sedatives, hypnotics and antiparkinsonians accounted for 57% of the total of admissions analyzed. Injuries and falls were the main health problems related to intoxication and adverse drug effects. Hospitalizations due to injuries were associated with analgesic, antipyretic and antirheumatic non-opioid. Falls were associated with systemic antibiotics, contradicting studies which point out psychotropic drugs as the main drug involved in these events. The results reflect the growing trend of problems associated with drug use by elderly people. It was verified that the consumption profile alone is not sufficient to explain the concentration of cases of the major therapeutic classes. We suggest the adoption of more effective programs of pharmacovigilance, capable of intervening at different stages of drug use: prescribing, dispensing, marketing, administration and compliance.The elderly are more susceptible to adverse drugs effects due to a variety of factors, such as excessive and concomitant use of several drugs, administration errors, physiological changes in the body that alter the pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics. In order to determine the main therapeutic classes involved in hospital admissions of elderly people due to intoxication and adverse drug effects, as well as major health problems related to these events, 9,793 hospitalizations of people aged 60 or over registered in the Hospital Information System of the Unified Health System (SIH-SUS) in the period of 2004 to 2008 were analyzed. Unspecified drugs, systemic antibiotics, psychotropics, psychoactives, antiepileptics, sedatives, hypnotics and antiparkinsonians accounted for 57% of the total of admissions analyzed. Injuries and falls were the main health problems related to intoxication and adverse drug effects. Hospitalizations due to injuries were associated with analgesic, antipyretic and antirheumatic non-opioid. Falls were associated with systemic antibiotics, contradicting studies which point out psychotropic drugs as the main drug involved in these events. The results reflect the growing trend of problems associated with drug use by elderly people. It was verified that the consumption profile alone is not sufficient to explain the concentration of cases of the major therapeutic classes. We suggest the adoption of more effective programs of pharmacovigilance, capable of intervening at different stages of drug use: prescribing, dispensing, marketing, administration and compliance.Publica, também, artigos para as seguintes seções:  Artigos Metodológicos: Artigos que se dedicam a analisar as diferentes técnicas utilizadas em estudos epidemiológicos;  Debate: destina-se a discutir diferentes visões sobre um mesmo tema, que poderá ser apresentado sob a forma de consenso/dissenso, artigo original seguido do comentário de outros autores, reprodução de mesas redondas e outras formas semelhantes;  Notas e Informações: notas prévias de trabalhos de investigação, bem como breves relatos de novos aspectos da epidemiologia, além de notícias relativas a eventos da área, lançamentos de livros e outros (máximo de 6.450 caracteres);  Cartas ao Editor: comentários de leitores sobre trabalhos publicados na Revista Brasileira de Epidemiologia (de 3.260 até 4.570 caracteres).