[CT scanners in the Brazilian Unified National Health System: installed capacity and utilization]. / Capacidade de produção e grau de utilização de tomógrafo computadorizado no Sistema Único de Saúde.

This study analyzes the supply and use of computed tomography scanners (CT) in the Brazilian Unified National Health System (SUS) according to State and administrative levels in the year 2009. Secondary data were used to estimate the installed CT capacity in public healthcare facilities and in private services outsourced by the SUS and calculated the rate of utilization. Average national CT utilization was less than 10%. The public sector showed lower CT use than the private sector outsourced by the SUS. The number of CT tests in the SUS was less than half the number produced in developed countries. The results thus suggest the need for further studies on management practices with high-technology equipment in order to improve allocation of current and future public resources in supplying CT tests.

[Pediatric intensive care in Latin America]. / Los cuidados intensivos pediátricos en Latinoamérica.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the practice of pediatric intensive care in Latin America and compare it with two European countries. DESIGN: Analysis of data presented by member countries of the Sociedad Latinoamericana de Cuidado Intensivo Pediátrico (SLACIP), Spain and Portugal, in the context of a Symposium of Spanish and Portuguese - speaking pediatric intensivists during the Fifth World Congress on Pediatric Intensive Care. SETTING: Pediatric intensive care units (PICUs). PARTICIPANTS: Pediatric intensivists in representation of each member country of the SLACIP, Spain and Portugal. INTERVENTIONS: None. VARIABLES OF INTEREST: Each country presented its data on child health, medical facilities for children, pediatric intensive care units, pediatric intensivists, certification procedures, equipment, morbidity, mortality, and issues requiring intervention in each participating country. RESULTS: Data from 11 countries was analyzed. Nine countries were from Latin America (Argentina, Colombia, Cuba, Chile, Ecuador, Honduras, México, Dominican Republic and Uruguay), and two from Europe (Spain and Portugal). Data from Bolivia and Guatemala were partially considered. Populational, institutional, and operative differences were identified. Mean PICU mortality was 13.29% in Latin America and 5% in the European countries (P=0.005). There was an inverse relationship between mortality and availability of pediatric intensive care units, pediatric intensivists, number of beds, and number of pediatric specialty centers. Financial and logistic limitations, as well as deficiencies in support disciplines, severity of diseases, malnutrition, late admissions, and inadequate initial treatments could be important contributors to mortality at least in some of these countries. CONCLUSION: There are important differences in population, morbidity and mortality in critically ill children among the participating countries. Mortality shows an inverse correlation to the availability of pediatric intensive care units, intensive care beds, pediatric intensivists, and pediatric subspecialty centers.