Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Epidemiological Profile of Stroke Hospitalizations in Brazil

Stroke is defined as an acute vascular dysfunction with a duration exceeding 24 hours, representing the second leading cause of mortality in the adult population. The quality of healthcare services provided has been identified as a significant predictor of mortality. During the ongoingpandemic of the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-CoV-2), measures of social distancing and the association of SARS-CoV-2 infection with stroke episodes have emerged as crucial factors for consideration. The objective of this study is to describe the impact of the pandemic context of COVD-19 on the indicators of stroke hospitalizations in Brazil, using data made available by the Department of Informatics of the Unified Health System (DATASUS). Quantitative analysis was performed with the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software.Comparing only the two pandemic years with the two immediately preceding years, there was a 1.1% decrease in the number of hospital admissions. A significant increase in the average length of hospital stay was observed in the pre-pandemic period (p < 0.001). Prior to the pandemic, a downward trend in mortality rates was evident, with an average of 15.83%. The findings from this time series provide a framework for understanding pertinent epidemiological aspects. The repercussions of this scenario on mortality rates have been evidenced, and the long-term implications of these changes on the trends of hospitalization for the disease, such as length of stay, are not yet fully defined.