Comorbidades em pacientes com Transtorno do Espectro Autista atendidos no Ambulatório de Psiquiatria Infantil de Lagarto/SE

Abstract

Introduction: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by persistent deficits in communication and social interaction and restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior. In addition to the wide spectrum of presentations, the disorder can occur with other medical conditions. Objective: To identify the comorbidities associated with ASD in patients treated at the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry outpatient clinic of the Hospital Universitário de Lagarto from January/2021 to December/2022. Methods: Descriptive, cross-sectional, retrospective epidemiological study. It was developed, after ethical approval, at the Child Psychiatry Outpatient Clinic of the Lagarto University Hospital. It involved 510 electronic medical records, in order to evaluate the following variables: diagnosis of ASD and prevalence of comorbidities. Results: 117 medical records were included in the research. It was observed that the majority of patients were male and were diagnosed before the age of 4. The occurrence of neurological, genetic, psychiatric comorbidities and other medical conditions was found in the sample. Among the neurological and genetic comorbidities, epilepsy and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome were the most cited. Of the psychiatric comorbidities, ADHD, intellectual disability, anxiety disorder, depressive disorder and oppositional defiant disorder had the highest occurrence. Of the general medical conditions, asthma, allergic rhinitis, metabolic and gastrointestinal disorders were the most highlighted. Conclusion: ASD is accompanied by comorbidities and, due to atypical manifestations, recognition may be difficult. It is essential to be aware of the coexistence between pathologies to provide quality of life and functionality to the patient.