Abstract / Summary
Abstract BACKGROUND Analyzing Ambulatory Care-Sensitive Hospitalizations (ACSHs) is essential for reducing preventable hospitalizations and interventions through Primary Health Care (PHC), as well as for improving the health system and lowering costs. OBJECTIVE To analyze ACSHs in the pediatric population and assess the impact of COVID-19 on these hospitalizations. METHODS This epidemiological study used ACSH data from children and adolescents aged 27 days to 17 years between 2018 and 2024. Hospitalizations occurred in hospitals within the private healthcare system and the Unified Health System (SUS) across all five regions of Brazil, using the Diagnosis-Related Groups (DRG Brasil®) system. RESULTS A reduction in hospitalizations for lung diseases was observed. Heart failure and angina pectoris had the highest average number of procedures in 2018–2019, while hospitalizations for hypertension were most prevalent in 2020–2022. Mortality was highest for hospitalizations due to heart failure. CONCLUSION These findings emphasize the importance of strengthening PHC, focusing on prevention, continuous monitoring, and fair responses to children’s needs across different regions.