OBJECTIVES: WAVE-bd (International ambispective study of the clinical management and burden of bipolar disorder [BD]) is ongoing to provide the healthcare community with updated and representative longitudinal data on this disease. As part of this study, healthcare utilization was assessed in a cohort of Brazilian and Venezuelan BD patients. METHODS: Multinational, multicenter, non-interventional, longitudinal study of patients diagnosed with BD with ≥1 mood event in the preceding 12 months (retrospective data collection from index mood event to enrollment, followed by a minimum of 9 months’ prospective follow-up). Site and patient selection provided a representative sample of patients from both countries, including private settings and hospitals. Data from Brazil and Venezuela for the overall BD population (inclusive of BD type I and II) are presented. RESULTS: In total, 397 patients were recruited from public hospitals and university hospitals in Brazil [n=146 (88.0%) and n=20 (12.0%), respectively; N=166] and from private practice and public and university hospitals in Venezuela [n=76 (32.9) and n=155 (67.1), respectively; N=231]. Planned visits to the psychiatrist were the most frequently used resource (7.77 ± 7.02 [mean ± SD] visits/patient-year) and there were also 0.48 ± 1.35 spontaneous visits to this specialist. The mean number of visits to the psychologist was 0.99 ± 5.13 per patient-year. Hospitalization rates since diagnosis and the index study event were 0.33 ± 0.54 and 0.18 ± 0.54 per patient-year, respectively. Visits to group therapy sessions, general practitioners and the emergency room since the index study event were 0.13 ± 1.82, 0.56 ± 0.71 and 0.15 ± 0.75 per patient-year, respectively. There were 140 ± 460 suicide attempts per 1000 patient-years since diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: Management of patients with BD representative of everyday clinical practice involved considerable use of resources in two Latin American countries. Study funded by AstraZeneca; Clinical Trials Registry: NCT01062607.