Population aging and Hospitalization for Sensitive Causes to Primary Care

The study aimed to analyze the main Hospitalizations for Causes Sensitive to Primary Care in elderly people in a small city in the state of Santa Catarina. The data were obtained by consulting a secondary database in the Information System of the Ministry of Health - Department of Informatics of the Unified Health System (DATASUS). For the research, the age group from 60 to 74 years old was considered, the frequency of hospitalizations by sex and main causes of Hospitalization Sensitive to Primary Care, in the period from 2012 to 2018. Population aging is a reality in Brazil and in the world and studies are fundamental for understanding the health needs of the elderly population. The results showed that, of the total number of hospitalizations in the studied period, 39% were for Causes Sensitive to Primary Care (ICSAP), and more frequently in males. There was a decrease in the number of hospitalizations for these causes in 2018 compared to previous years. Among the most frequent causes of hospitalizations, bacterial pneumonia stood out, followed by lung diseases, heart failure, cerebrovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus and kidney and urinary tract infections. It is concluded that there is a need to strengthen Primary Health Care, concentrating greater efforts on health promotion and education and prevention of diseases through strategies to encourage active aging, avoiding the need for hospitalization for causes that can be managed in Primary Care.