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.