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.

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