Time analysis of hospital costs for respiratory diseases in Brazil, 1998-2021

Respiratory diseases (RD) affect individuals of all age groups, negatively impacting patients' quality of life and incurring significant costs to healthcare services. If not managed properly, they can also lead to mortality. Information provided by DATASUS on RD can be utilized to facilitate professional decision-making, set targets for approach and treatment, and support the creation of public policies aimed at this population.

To assess the financial costs of hospital admissions in the Brazilian population caused by respiratory diseases from 1998 to 2021.

This is a retrospective, population-based, ecological time-series study using secondary administrative hospital data in the Hospital Information System of the Unified Health System (SIH/SUS), regarding the costs generated by respiratory diseases in Brazil, including individuals aged 0 to 80 years. The data were analyzed using GraphPad Prism software version 8.0, and the significance level was set at 5%.

A total of 34,749,023 hospitalizations due to respiratory diseases were recorded in Brazil, resulting in an accumulated expenditure of R$23.65 billion and an average cost of R$760.62 per hospitalization. Adults aged 20 to 80 years accounted for the highest number of admissions and total costs. Among respiratory conditions, pneumonia represented the greatest financial burden to the public health system across all age groups. Regionally, the South region showed the highest population-adjusted hospital costs, while men presented higher in-hospital mortality rates, and the Southeast region exhibited the longest average length of hospital stay, particularly among older adults.

Respiratory diseases, in addition to representing a public health problem, impose a significant financial burden on the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS). It is essential to prioritize strategic planning and targeted actions to address these conditions, particularly pneumonia, considering the higher population-adjusted costs in the South, greater in-hospital mortality among men, and the longer hospital length of stay in the Southeast, aiming to reduce public health inequalities.