Custo da Terapia Nutricional em pacientes internados por COVID-19 no Brasil: Estudo ecológico

Introduction: COVID-19 is an infection with a broad clinical spectrum that interferes with the nutritional status of the patient, impairing the immune response. Considering that malnutrition is a risk factor for worse outcomes in hospitalized patients, the approach for Nutritional Therapy (NT) in individuals with COVID-19 proved to be essential for recovery and good prognosis. In Brazil, investment in NT corresponds to an important portion of hospital bills. Objective: To describe the costs of NT in the treatment of patients hospitalized by COVID-19 in different regions of Brazil. Method: This is an ecological study. Data were collected from the Hospital Information System (SIH) of the Informatics Department of the Brazilian Unified Health System (DATASUS), referring to the costs with NT according to the regions of Brazil and modalities of the NT, from March to August 2020. Results: The costs of NT in Brazil were exposed in tables and graphs. It was observed that the highest costs with NT occurred between the months of May and July and these corresponded to 18% of the total costs with NT. The South and Southeast regions had the highest costs and the North region had the highest percentage of costs directed to the treatment of COVID-19. Regarding the modality of NT, the data revealed the preference for Enteral Nutritional Therapy (ENT) in relation to Parenteral one (PNT) in all months. Conclusion: It was concluded that there is a need for the expansion and prioritization of NT in Brazilian hospitals in the treatment of COVID-19.