OBJECTIVES: to analyze the pattern of hospital morbidity of Suruí Indian children at the local network of the Brazilian Universal Health System. METHODS: inpatient data were obtained for 380 children <10 years old hospitalized during 2000 to 2004 at the two hospitals in the city of Cacoal, State of Rondônia, to which Indian patients are referred to Hospital Materno-Infantil (public) and Hospital Infantil e Maternidade Menino Jesus (private). Hospitalization causes were classified according to the International Disease Classification 10th revision. RESULTS: diseases of the respiratory system - Chapter X (58.2%) were the most frequent cause of hospitalization, followed by certain infectious and parasitic diseases - Chapter I (35.0%) and other conditions developed in the perinatal period - Chapter XVI (3.2%). All other causes contributed with less that 1.5% of the total number of admissions, totaling less than 4.0% combined. The majority of hospital admissions (65.5%) were observed in children <2 years old. The average number of hospitalization days was significantly higher in public hospital. CONCLUSIONS: the hospital morbidity pattern observed in Suruí children not only discloses their precarious health conditions, but it also points to structural deficiencies at the primary healthcare level. The authors understand that more research is needed to better grasp the epidemiologic background associated with hospitalization causes in Indigenous populations. This information is of paramount value in order to better plan the health interventions aimed at these populations.
Hospitalization; Morbidity; Health services; Child health; Indians South American
