Reasons for hospitalisation in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus in a university hospital in Buenos Aires.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the reasons for hospitalisation in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) admitted to the Hospital de Clínicas "José de San Martín" Buenos Aires, Argentina.

METHODS

We retrospectively analysed the clinical histories of SLE patients (SLICC 2012) during or prior to hospitalisation, from 1-2014 to 12-2017. Demographic data, reasons for hospitalisation, treatments, SLEDAI-2 K and comorbid conditions.

RESULTS

121 hospitalisations corresponding to 72 patients, 25 patients (34.7%) were hospitalised more than once. Females (83.3%), the median length of disease until admission was 5 years. There was more than one reason for hospitalisation in 32, a total of 164 reasons. The main reason was relapse of disease (52.4%). The most frequent manifestations were renal involvement, serositis and pulmonary involvement. Infections were the second reason for hospitalisation (26.8%); urinary tract, pneumonia and soft tissue. Cardiovascular involvement 4.9%. Hospitalisation in a closed unit 14.05%, mortality 2.48%.

CONCLUSION

Relapse of disease and infections were the main reasons for hospitalisation; admission secondary to infection was higher than that reported in other series.