Hospital expenses and liver disease in Brazi

Abstract

Objective: This study aims at describing the values and morbimortality of hospital admissions for liver disease in the Brazilian public health system. Methods: The study was carried out in the DATASUS, for a period of five years. The number, causes, time, mortality rate and values of hospitalizations in the period were investigated. Results: In five years, there were 67,561,584 hospitalizations, of which 461,431 were due to liver diseases. The value of hospitalizations in the period was US$ 23 billion, and liver diseases accounted for US$ 384 million, which corresponds to 76 million per year. In liver diseases, the mean length of hospital stay was 8 days whereas for other hospitalizations the mean time was 5 days. The mortality rate from liver diseases was 14% while the general mortality rate was 4%. The average cost of hospitalizations was US$ 531 for liver diseases and US$ 84 for other causes of hospitalization. Conclusion: In the Brazilian public health system, liver diseases have a higher average value, a longer average hospital stay, and a higher mortality rate when compared to all causes of hospitalization.