OBJECTIVE: To describe the clinical and epidemiological characteristics and treatment of children admitted with visceral leishmaniasis (VL) to a reference university hospital in the northern part of Minas Gerais, Brazil. METHODS: Retrospective study and documentation of children aged 0 to 12 years admitted with a diagnosis of VL at the University Hospital Clemente de Faria, Montes Claros, MG. Records for the period between January 2006 and December 2007 were analyzed. RESULTS: We identified 51 children with VL, of which 51% were female, and 74.5% were under 5 years of age. Children came from Montes Claros (31%), 20 municipalities in the north of the state of Minas Gerais (69%), urban areas (72.5%), and rural areas (21.6%). The main clinical manifestation was fever (96.1%) and major clinical findings at admission were splenomegaly (98%) and hepatomegaly (94%). The treatment of choice was Glucantime (70.6%), Conventional Amphotericin B (13.7%), Liposomal Amphotericin B (2%), and Glucantime associated with Amphotericin B (15.7%). Infections developed during hospitalization in 35.4% of cases, and of those, 11.8% were skin infections. The average length of hospitalization was 19 days (SD = ± 5.4); 96.1% children received medical discharge and 3.9% progressed to death. CONCLUSIONS: From the clinical and epidemiological characteristics identified in the study, more effective monitoring by healthcare workers is recommended, aiming at early recognition and appropriate treatment of the disease and its complications.
Leishmaniasis; Epidemiology; Child
