Abstract

LEAL-MATEOS, Manrique; SALAZAR-SOLIS, Ricardo  and  RUIZ-CASTRO, Javier. Motivos de consulta de los inmigrante s en el primer nivel de atención de la CCSS, Distrito Primero del Cantón Central de Alajuela durante 2002. Acta méd. costarric [online]. 2004, vol.46, n.1, pp.13-18. ISSN 0001-6002.

Objective: To describe the reasons of consultation of immigrants who attended the health services at the first attention level at the First District of the Central Canton of Alajuela that belongs to "Area de Salud Alajuela Norte", during 2002. Methods: This is a cross-sectional descriptive study. The following variables were collected: age, gender, nationality, consult place reason of consultation. Results: A total of 467 foreigners consulted 1076 times. Among all consults, 853 (79.3%) were made by women and 223 (20.7%) by men. The average of the consults was 2.3 consults per patient. The median age was 39.8 years old. Regarding nationality, 772 (71.7%) consults were made by nicaraguan patients, 140 (13%) by colombian patients and 41 (3.8%) by salvadorans. The main reasons for consultation were testing control of an existing disease process or for laboratory testing, upper respiratory infections and urinary tract infections. The place where most immigrants consulted was the EBAIS form Cristo Rey with 241 (22.4%) consultations. Conclusion: The immigrant patients who attend first level health services of attention are young people, principally females and with diseases similar to the Costa Rican population from the same district.

Keywords : motivos de consulta; inmigrantes; primer nivel atención; Alajuela.