HOSPITALIZATIONS FOR VIRAL ENCEPHALITIS IN BRAZILIAN CHILDREN UNDER 10 YEARS OF AGE: CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

Encephalitis is an irritation/inflammation of the brain parenchyma, with viral etiology being the most common. The incidence of viral encephalitis in children up to two years of age is 16 cases per 100,000 child-years, remaining high up to 10 years of age. Although rare, this condition is associated with high morbidity and mortality and can result in irreversible sequelae, especially neurologic, often requiring multidisciplinary support and palliative care. The objective of this study was to evaluate the incidence of hospitalizations for viral encephalitis in Brazilian children aged 0 to 9 years. Ecological, descriptive study with a quantitative approach. Data on hospitalizations for viral encephalitis in children under 10 years of age were collected from the Hospital Information System of SUS (SIH/SUS), available on the DATASUS platform. Variables used for data extraction included macro-regions, age group (0 to 9 years), sex, race/skin color and value of hospital services in the period 2019 to 2023. A total of 3,571 hospitalizations were identified, with the highest number of cases in 2022 (867), followed by 2019 (842) and 2023 (698). The Northeast region had the highest number of hospitalizations (1,316), followed by the Southeast with 955 and the South with 566 cases. The 1–4 year age group accounted for 1,755 cases, followed by 5–9 years with 1,152 and under 1 year with 664. Male sex accounted for 1,997 cases (55.92%), while female sex had 1,574 (44.08%). Regarding race/skin color, brown (parda) children were most represented with 1,832 cases, followed by white with 779 and black with 88. Additionally, about 23.4% (836) of hospitalizations lacked race information, which hampers accurate analysis. Total hospitalizations generated hospital service costs amounting to 5,884,809.83 Brazilian reais. The study reveals concerning numbers regarding the severity and prevalence of this condition in Brazil. Moreover, the economic impact of these hospitalizations emphasizes the urgency of developing prevention and treatment strategies tailored to regional contexts. These results not only highlight viral encephalitis as a relevant public health problem but also point to the need for robust public health policies.