PERFIL SOCIODEMOGRÁFICO E CLÍNICO DE PACIENTES ASMÁTICOS ATENDIDOS EM UM HOSPITAL UNIVERSITÁRIO

- Introduction: Asthma is a chronic disease with a considerable prevalence and represents, however, significant health expenses, since its inadequate control influences the development of frequent attacks, hospitalizations and the use of continuous medications. The clinical picture is characterized by cough, dyspnea, wheezing and retrosternal pain, which occur variably due to a limitation of airflow in the airways. Objective : To analyze the sociodemographic and clinical profile of pediatric asthmatic patients treated at a University Hospital. Method : A documentary research with a quantitative approach was carried out, through the analysis of medical records. Results : There were 222 pediatric consultations with a diagnosis of asthma registered in the period 2019-2021. Of this value, a higher prevalence of males was observed, from the urban area, aged between seven and eleven years, clinically with a higher occurrence of wheezing, fever being the other associated symptom most commonly found, with an infant being hospitalized up to five times in the service. The children's companions were mainly the mothers, of which a significant portion did not finish elementary school and most reported a family income of up to one minimum wage. Many pediatric patients were already using some type of medication before the consultation, including antipyretics, corticosteroids, anti-inflammatories and antibiotics. Conclusion : The analysis of hospitalized patients provides indicators for better hospital management, adequate therapeutic management and emphasizes adherence to maintenance treatment by health professionals, as well as an alert to reduce exposure to triggering factors.