Prevalência de anemia em lactentes e pré-escolares internados em um hospital universitário no nordeste brasileiro no ano de 2021

Abstract

Anemia is a condition in which the number of erythrocytes is insufficient to supply the metabolic demand for oxygen in the human body. Although the prevalence of anemia among Brazilian children aged 6 to 59 months has decreased by more than 50% between 2000 and 2019, it is still considerable. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of anemia in infants and preschoolers at the time of admission to the pediatric ward of the University Hospital of Lagarto in 2021. This is an observational, cross-sectional, quantitative, and descriptive study. After selection, 175 medical records were analyzed. The prevalence of anemia at admission was 55.42%, with the rate being higher among those under 2 years old (72.07%). Normocytic anemia with normal RDW was the most prevalent. An incidence of in-hospital anemia was observed in 32 out of 100 hospitalized patients throughout the year 2021, but there was no statistical significance between the mean length of hospital stay and the incidence of anemia. Although anemia was not the reason for admission for any of the patients, the high prevalence at the time of admission suggests that it may have contributed to the need for hospitalization of these individuals. It is concluded that it is important to conduct studies to analyze anemia in hospitalized patients, especially in children, due to its high prevalence and consequent impact on the healthcare system.