Despite the changes observed in recent years in illness and mortality in childhood with a marked reduction in hospitalizations for infectious diseases, few studies exist that show the clinical and demographic profile of pediatric admissions in our midst. The study aimed to identify the characteristics and diagnostic and therapeutic procedures of pediatric admissions in hospitals in the public health system in the municipality of Rio de Janeiro. As to the method, a retrospective study conducted in four public hospitals in Rio de Janeiro, in a sample consisting of 170 hospital admissions in pediatric wards from January to December 2008. The information obtained showed the high frequency of children with chronic diseases (47.6%) in all studied hospitals. The services also showed a high percentage of patients with a history of re-hospitalization (35.3%). The analysis unit showed that among the four services studied, only one showed a lower proportion of children with chronic diseases and lower frequency of readmissions. In the other three hospitals, more than half of the group studied, the causes of hospitalization were found linked to chronic diseases. The results confirm the need for organization of pediatric services in order to be prepared, with appropriate structure and processes of care, for the management, treatment and monitoring of patients with chronic diseases.
hospitalization; pediatric care; chronic illness in childhood
