SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION AND GEOPROCESSING OF PATIENTS WITH CLEFT LIP AND PALATE IN IMPERATRIZ CITY, MARANHÃO, BRAZIL

Abstract

Objective: To demonstrate the technical experience of spatial demarcation and geoprocessing of patients with cleft lip and palate (CLP) treated at a specialized treatment center (Centrinho Imperatriz) in the city of Imperatriz, MA, Brazil. Material and Methods: This was a descriptive, epidemiological study based on the medical records of patients treated at Centrinho, including a sample of 100 patients living in the city. Georeferencing and geoprocessing were performed with the aid of Google Earth® software, Google Maps® and ArcView. The geostatistical analysis was carried out using descriptive data analysis on IBM SPSS Statistics 20.0® program. Results: The neighborhoods with the highest prevalence of CLP were the center (12%), New Imperatriz (11%), Bacurí (9%), Santa Rita (6%); It also indicates that the average distance from the patient's home to the nearest UBS was 0.84 Km (minimum: 0.13 km, maximum 7.0 km) and the average distance from the patient's home to the Centrinho Imperatriz was 3.17 Km (minimum: 0.19; maximum 8.9). Conclusion: The neighborhoods near Centrinho Imperatriz had a higher prevalence of CLP, and the average distance from patient’s households to primary care facilities was lower than that to Centrinho Imperatriz, where the majority of patients are located (west side of town). Thus, geoprocessing can become a powerful technological resource in the service of planning, monitoring and evaluating health actions in Brazil, especially for patients with cleft lip and palate. DESCRIPTORS Cleft Lip. Cleft Palate. Public Health. Oral Surgery.