PERFIL EPIDEMIOLÓGICO DA DENGUE EM UM HOSPITAL REGIONAL DO DISTRITO FEDERAL ENTRE OS MESES DE OUTUBRO DE 2023 A MAIO DE 2024

Introduction: Dengue has become a significant public health problem in many tropical and subtropical regions around the world. It is caused by one of the four dengue virus serotypes (DENV-1, DENV-2, DENV-3, and DENV-4) and is primarily transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito. In Brazil, a study demonstrated that dengue mortality has varied over the years, with a significant increase in severe cases. Between 2000 and 2015, the number of dengue-related deaths increased by 639%. Objective: To describe the epidemiological profile of dengue in the Southwest Health Region of the Federal District between October 2023 and May 2024. Method: This is a descriptive epidemiological study with retrospective data collection. Newborns and patients up to 13 years, 11 months, and 29 days old, who were admitted to health units in the Southwest Health Region of the Federal District between October 2023 and May 2024, were included. Results: A total of 425 cases were selected, involving patients aged between 28 days and under 14 years. The average age was 6.9 years, with a standard deviation (SD) of 4.4 years; approximately 61.2% of the patients were male and 38.4% were female. About 19.3% of the patients had a chronic disease. Around 59.8% of the patients were admitted to the ward, staying an average of 4 days (SD of 1.6 days). Approximately 2.8% of the patients were transferred to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), and 0.2% of the patients died, indicating a case fatality rate of 0.24% during the study period. Patients remained with dengue for an average of 4.5 days (SD 2.1 days), with the main warning signs being mucosal bleeding (27.8%), abdominal pain (20%), and thrombocytopenia (17.4%). However, about 24% of the patients did not exhibit any warning signs. Diagnostic conversion occurred in only 8.7% of the patients, with the most frequent being gastroenterocolitis (13.5%). Conclusion: Pediatric patients diagnosed with dengue in the Southwest Health Region of the Federal District are mostly male, aged between 5 and under 14 years, with a high frequency of hospitalization, averaging 4.5 days. Although the fatality rate is low, the identification of warning signs such as mucosal bleeding, abdominal pain, and thrombocytopenia may contribute to the early treatment of these patients.