Clinical and Epidemiological Profile of Visceral Leishmaniasis Patients Treated at a Reference Unit in Campo Grande, State of Mato do Grosso do Sul, Brazil.

Visceral leishmaniasis is the most severe form of leishmaniasis. In Brazil, the importance of visceral leishmaniasis lies not only in its high incidence and wide distribution, but also in the possibility of assuming severe and lethal forms when associated with malnutrition and concomitant infections. There are still few studies carried out in the search to better deal with these cases, in order to avoid aggravations and deaths due to the disease. The objective of this study was to describe the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of patients undergoing treatment in the period between January 2010 and December 2013 for visceral leishmaniasis at a reference unit in the city of Campo Grande, MS. It consists of a retrospective and documentary study of biological, demographic, clinical and laboratory data. This is a descriptive and crosssectional study with a quantitative approach. The study was conducted at the Day Hospital (Municipal Health Department) in Campo Grande, MS. All records of any age group and sex were analyzed, provided they were completed, referring to the period from January 2010 to December 2013. The variables age, gender, residence status, area, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, type treatment, hematological data, comorbidities and evolution of the condition were analyzed. The results obtained are expected to verify the clinical-epidemiological characteristics of the visceral leishmaniasis patients, contributing to an earlier and prognostic diagnosis with a greater chance of cure and improvement in the quality of life of these patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]