Hospital discharges for cystic fibrosis in patients aged 0-19 years in Chile: A descriptive study, 2021-2024
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.52611/confluencia.2026.1688Keywords:
Chile, Epidemiology, Cystic Fibrosis, Hospitalization, PediatricsAbstract
Introduction: Cystic fibrosis is a multisystem genetic disease that primarily affects respiratory and digestive systems. In Chile, evidence on hospital discharges due to cystic fibrosis in the pediatric population is limited. Objective: To describe the hospital discharge rate for cystic fibrosis in patients aged 0-19 years in Chile between 2021-2024. Methodology: Observational, descriptive, retrospective longitudinal study based on secondary records from the Department of Health Statistics and Information. Hospital discharges with a primary diagnosis code E84 “Cystic fibrosis” (International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision), were included. The denominator for rate calculation was obtained from the 2024 Census of the National Institute of Statistics. The analysis examined absolute frequencies and the hospital discharge rate per 100.000 inhabitants, as well as the weighted average length of hospital stay. Result: A total of 1.114 hospital discharges were analyzed. The overall hospital discharge rate was 6,2 cases per 100.000 inhabitants; the highest rate was recorded in 2022 (6,8) and the lowest in 2024 (5,1). The hospital discharge rate was higher among women (6,9) and in the 10-to-14-year age group (7,4). The average length of hospital stay was 15,4 days, higher among men. Discussion: Cystic fibrosis maintains a relevant hospital burden in pediatric and adolescent populations, with descriptive differences according to sex and age group, as well as prolonged hospital stays that reflect the complexity of inpatient management. Conclusion: Strengthening multidisciplinary outpatient follow-up, especially during adolescence, and generating national evidence to evaluate the impact of new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies are needed.
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