Epidemiological and clinical characteristics of Brazilian indigenous patients with pneumonia

Abstract

Introduction: Indigenous people in Brazil present a complex and dynamic health  pattern, so their epidemiologic profile is not very well-known and, therefore, the incidence and letality rates due to breathing diseases, specifically pneumonias, are high.  

Objective: To characterize the indigenous patients with pneumonia according to selected clinical and epidemiological variables. 

Methods:  A descriptive study was carried out in 224 Brazilian indigenous patients with clinical diagnosis of pneumonia, assisted in the health post of Rio Negro Ocaia, belonging to the base center of Guajará Mirim municipality in Porto Velho Indigenous Special Health District, from Rondonia State in Brazil, during January-December, 2016. The analyzed variables were age, sex, associated risk factors, followed behavior, applied treatment and clinical course.  

Results: In the investigation there was a prevalence of the male sex (51.3%) in the 1-6 age group (46.4%), malnutrition (88.4%) and  patients treated in the village (86.7%), one of whom (0.4%) died. Also, 13.3% was referred to the hospital and 97.3% treated with oral antibiotics. It was observed an improvement in 89.7%; while 10.3% presented other complications with prevalence of pleural effusion (39.1%).  

Conclusions: Pneumonia is still the main disease in this indigenous population and the reason of more frequent visit among native patients, as well as the fundamental cause of death.