Abstract
BACKGROUND: Severe heart disease has high prevalence, morbidity, and mortality rates.Heart stimulation is important in the final stages of heart disease. The concentration of procedures in a service allows for the epidemiological analysis of our population. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the epidemiological profile of severe heart disease in Rio Grande do Norte by registering all patients undergoing artificial cardiac stimulation (ACS) in a Unified Health System reference service in Rio Grande do Norte. DESIGN AND SETTING: This cross-sectional study included all patients who underwent ACS procedures at the Hospital Onofre Lopes, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), from 2006 to 2021. Sociodemographic characteristics, procedures, and health conditions were examined. Additionally, a spatial analysis of casuistry was performed according to the municipality of origin. METHODS: This cross-sectional study analyzed data derived from patients treated at Hospital Onofre Lopes, UFRN, from 2006 to 2021, including sociodemographic characteristics, procedures, and health conditions. RESULTS: A total of 894 patients (male, 59.8%; mean age: 65.5 years) were included. Third-degree atrioven tricular block was indicated in 191 patients, an ischemic etiology was found in 269 patients, whereas dyspnea was reported by 398 patients. Furthermore, 69.5%, 24.4%, and 31.7% of patients had hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemia, respectively. Spatial analysis showed no significant differences in the formation of clusters. CONCLUSIONS: The characteristics of the service contributed to possible differences in the literature. The spatial distribution of severe heart disease was random in the state, indicating an adequate distribution of reference services even in the absence of a defined flowchart for such services.