Sociodemographic profile of elderly people cared for at a medium and high complexity hospital: a cross-sectional study, Belo Horizonte, 2015-2019

Abstract

Objective: To analyze the sociodemographic profile of elderly individuals hospitalized in a medium and high complexity hospital in Belo Horizonte, with emphasis on reasons for hospitalization, length of hospital stay, and factors associated with risk of death. Methods: This is a descriptive, quantitative, cross-sectional study based on data from electronic medical records of elderly individuals (≥60 years) treated between 2015 and 2019 at a referral hospital for multiple trauma in Belo Horizonte. The variables investigated included age, sex, marital status, municipality of origin, reason for hospitalization, and length of stay. Descriptive statistical analysis, Kaplan-Meier estimator, log-rank test, and Cox regression were used to identify association between the factors analyzed. Results: A total of 10,742 medical records were analyzed, the majority of which were male (52.6%) and aged 60-79 years (75.8%). The most frequent reason for hospitalization was falls (44.4%), followed by clinical causes (25.1%). Average length of hospital stay was 79.8 days. The mortality rate was 11.7%, with higher risk associated with self-harm (3.1 times higher), falls and poisoning (1.9 times higher). The longest hospital stay was observed in cases of people who had been run over (96 days). Conclusions: The profile found highlighted the vulnerability of the elderly population, the complexity of the cases treated and the need for specific hospital management strategies. The importance of preventive actions, palliative care and continuous training of professionals stood out, with the aim of improving the quality of life of the elderly population and optimizing health resources.