Costs and characteristics of admissions due to ambulatory care-sensitive conditions in children under one year of age in São Paulo, Brazil.

Abstract

This research aimed to estimate the direct costs and analyze the epidemiological aspects of ambulatory care-sensitive conditions (ACSC) in children under one year of age, São Paulo municipality, 2011-2022. Total and average costs were calculated according to ACSC diagnosis groups by components (early neonatal, late neonatal, and post-neonatal). The trend in ACSC rates was analyzed using Prais-Winsten generalized linear regression. 98,679 hospitalizations were identified. There was an annual increase of 10.2% in the ACSC rate of early neonates and in the other components the trend was stationary. The cost for the period was estimated at R$ 130.5 million in <1 year, a reduction of 8.6%. The highest absolute values were related to the most frequent causes, such as lung diseases with 43.7% of the cost in <1 year, 52.5% in late neonates, and 48.8% in post-neonates. In early neonates, 83.5% of the cost was attributed to prenatal-related diseases, especially congenital syphilis. It is concluded that it was possible to identify the costs and characteristics of hospitalizations, showing an increase in ACSC rates and the conditions that require greater attention from primary health care services to reduce hospitalizations and hospital costs in the public sector.