Abstract

Objective. To analyze the spatial distribution and temporal trend of hospital discharges associated with ischemic heart disease (IHD) in Chile for the period 2002-2020. Materials and methods. Mixed ecological study. Cases of IHD >=18 years registered in Chile between 2002 and 2020 were included. Cartographic representation at the communal level according to sex and residence. Spatial autocorrelation was used applying local Moran’s I. univariate by sex. Time trend was evaluated using the segmented Poisson (JP) model. Results. 434 061 total cases. The minimum hospitalization rates were 53 x 100 000 inhabitants for males and 32 x 100 000 inhabitants for females. The maximum rates determined correspond to 638 x 100 000 inhabitants for males and 364 x 100 000 inhabitants for females. Counties register Moran’s I. values for men that tend to disperse as the analyzed period progresses (0.247 to 0.334) and in the case of women they tend to cluster (0.244 to 0.223). Trend reflects increasing behavior in the age ranges from 18 to 24 years and from 25 to 34 years for females. Conclusion. There is a transition from low to high rates during the period studied. It is possible to group communes with high values in the central and southern zone of Chile, and low values in the northern zone of the country. The existence of a hospital, on average, affects utilization rates for both genders.