Program of acute respiratory infections in Buenos Aires province: results in 2019

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: The Ministry of Health of the Province of Buenos Aires has been carrying out actions since 2002 with the
objective of reducing infant mortality and unnecessary hospitalizations due to acute respiratory infections (ARI). Seventeen years after the implementation of the ARI program, an analysis of the 2019 data was performed. METHODS: The strategy was  focused on nursing and primary care level, including therapeutic test according to clinical score, bronchodilator in a metered- dose inhaler (MDI) and spacer, oxygen according to score, and records since 2004. RESULTS: A total of 161,101 episodes of low  ARI treated from June to August 2019 were analyzed, with the following results: resolution of 93.7% (97.3% in first level and  92.0% in second level); MDI use in 87.3%, nebulizer in 7.4% and mixed in 5.3%; 12.5% under 4 months of age, 24.5% in 4-6  months, 22.1% in 7-11 months, and 40.8% in 12 months or more; diagnosis of bronchial obstructive syndrome in 94.9%, of  pneumonia in 3.6% and of both in 1.5%; referral to Second Level with use of MDI in 5.2% and with use of nebulizer in 8.2%; risk  of underlying disease: 5.2%; mother under 17 years old: 5.2%; mother who has not completed elementary school: 13.0%; birth  weight less than 2,500 g: 6.3%; smoker in the household: 33.7%. DISCUSSION: There was a higher number of cases solved in the  first than in the second level of care, lower number of hospitalizations with MDI than with nebulizer, and the sum of risks  was associated with a greater number of referrals and greater severity.