Biological, behavioral, and socioeconomic factors associated with death from AIDS in Brasília, Brazil, in 2007

INTRODUCTION: In the jurisdiction of Brasília, Brazil, significant reductions in mortality rates and lethality resulting from acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) were observed shortly after the introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy. In recent years, however, the decline of these rates has not been as significant. Non-adherence to treatment and delayed diagnosis appear to be the main factors that increase the risk of death from AIDS. Behavioral, socioeconomic, and biological factors could also be associated with increased risk of death due to AIDS. This study aimed to identify which of these factors were associated with deaths from AIDS in Brasília. METHODS: A case-control study was undertaken using the data recorded in the Information System of Notifiable Diseases. Cases consisted of AIDS deaths occurring in 2007, residing in Brasília, and over 12 years of age. Controls consisted of AIDS patients who did not die until December 31 2007, also residing in Brasília, and over 12 years of age. For each group, frequency and proportion tables for the variables were prepared. The statistical association of each factor in isolation with the occurrence of the deaths was verified through a model of multivariate analysis using logistic regression. RESULTS: The factors that were associated with an increased risk of death were intravenous drug use, age 50 years or more, and residing in a region whose residents have low per capita income. CONCLUSIONS: We identified factors associated with death due to AIDS that can guide health planning.

Multiple causes of death related to Chagas' disease in Brazil, 1999 to 2007

INTRODUCTION: Chagas' disease is a major public health problem in Brazil and needs extensive and reliable information to support consistent prevention and control actions. This study describes the most common causes of death associated with deaths related to Chagas' disease (underlying or associated cause of death). METHODS: Mortality data were obtained from the Mortality Information System of the Ministry of Health (approximately 9 million deaths). We analyzed all deaths that occurred in Brazil between 1999 and 2007, where Chagas' disease was mentioned on the death certificate as underlying or associated cause (multiple causes of death). RESULTS: There was a total of 53,930 deaths related to Chagas' disease, 44,543 (82.6%) as underlying cause and 9,387 (17.4%) as associated cause. The main diseases and conditions associated with death by Chagas' disease as underlying cause included direct complications of cardiac involvement, such as conduction disorders/arrhythmias (41.4%) and heart failure (37.7%). Cerebrovascular disease (13.2%), ischemic heart disease (13.2%) and hypertensive diseases (9.3%) were the main underlying causes of deaths in which Chagas' disease was identified as an associated cause. CONCLUSIONS: Cardiovascular diseases were often associated with deaths related to Chagas' disease. Information from multiple causes of death recorded on death certificates allows reconstruction of the natural history of Chagas' disease and suggests preventive and therapeutic potential measures more adequate and specifics.

Epidemiological and environmental aspects of visceral leishmaniasis in children under 15 years of age between 2007 and 2012 in the City of Araguaína, State of Tocantins, Brazil

Introduction Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) stands out as a zoonosis observed on four continents and also in urban expansion zones in several regions of Brazil. Methods A cross-sectional epidemiological study of VL cases in children under 15 years of age in the period from 2007 to 2012. Clinical data were gathered from medical reports; meteorological data were obtained at the Meteorological Measurement Department of UFT. Environmental variables were divided into two periods, rainy and dry. Results The study revealed no difference by gender (p=0.67) among the 821 patients. However, the most affected age group was between one and five years of age (58.6%; p<0.01); the highest prevalence of the disease (99.03%; p<0.01) occurred in urban zones; and the most affected ethnic group (85.5%; p<0.01) was mixed race. The highest incidence coefficients in this population occurred in 2007 and 2008 (578.39/100,000 inhabitants; 18.5/100,000 inhabitants, respectively), whereas the highest lethality coefficients occurred in 2008 and 2011 (0.85/100 deaths). There was no significant correlation between average rainfall and the number of VL cases. The correlation between temperature and number of VL cases was negative (r = -0.4039; p<0.01). Conclusions In Araguaína, visceral leishmaniasis in children under 15 years is an urban-based endemic disease distributed across all districts of the city wherein temperature as an environmental factor, a higher prevalence in mixed race children between one and five years of age, and a high incidence coefficient all strongly contribute to child mortality.

Causes of hospital admission of AIDS patients in southern Brazil, 2007 to 2012

IntroductionThe acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) epidemic is a worldwide phenomenon that has been modified with the implementation of effective antiretroviral therapy. The objective of this study was to determine the leading causes of hospitalization among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive individuals.MethodsA cross-sectional study with patients admitted to a general hospital in southern Brazil, between January 2007 and May 2012.ResultsMedical records of 550 hospital admissions (230 patients) were reviewed, with an average of 2.4 hospitalizations per patient. Infectious diseases were the most prevalent causes of hospitalization. Overall, 44.8% patients died and their deaths were associated with longer hospital stays.ConclusionsOpportunistic infections remained the leading causes of hospitalization.

Avaliação da completude do sistema de informação sobre mortalidade por suicídio na região Sudeste, Brasil, no período de 1996 a 2007

OBJETIVO: Analisar a completude dos dados do SIM sobre os óbitos por suicídio no ES, Sudeste e Brasil (1996 a 2007), referentes às variáveis demográficas. MÉTODOS: Estudo descritivo analítico baseado em dados secundários. Foram incluídos os óbitos registrados no SIM por suicídio do Espírito Santo, Sudeste e Brasil. Analisaram-se o número absoluto e o percentual de não preenchimento das variáveis nas declarações de óbito (Dos) por suicídio durante o período. Com a finalidade de avaliar os graus de não completude das variáveis sociodemográficas das DOs, adotou-se escore proposto por pesquisadores. As equações do modelo escolhido e as estatísticas de ajuste para os percentuais de dados faltantes ao longo do tempo (valor de R² e o p-valor do teste F de adequação do modelo) foram obtidas do programa SPSS. O nível de significância adotado foi de 5%. RESULTADOS: As equações dos modelos encontrados indicam que as tendências de não completude para algumas variáveis são crescentes, enquanto para outras são decrescentes e estatisticamente significantes. CONCLUSÃO: As variáveis sexo e idade apresentaram estabilidade nas taxas no ES, Sudeste e Brasil, com melhoras significativas no preenchimento das DOs desses últimos. Quanto às demais variáveis, o ES destacou-se com os piores índices de preenchimento das DOs por suicídio.

Perfil da clientela atendida em um serviço público de urgência psiquiátrica no município de Belo Horizonte, Brasil, no período de 2002 a 2007

OBJETIVO: Descrever as características sociodemográficas, o número e os tipos de atendimentos realizados em um serviço público de atendimento de Urgência Psiquiátrica de Belo Horizonte, Brasil, no período de 2002 a 2007. MÉTODOS: Estudo descritivo de séries temporais, com análises de tendência por meio de regressões lineares, em que a variável resposta foi o número anual de atendimentos (totais e por tipo) ou a proporção de atendimentos por diagnóstico e a variável preditora foi o ano. RESULTADOS: O número total de atendimentos no período pesquisado não apresentou alteração significativa, embora tenha ocorrido uma redução do número de primeiras consultas no serviço, com aumento do número de retornos. Foi observada redução dos diagnósticos associados a álcool e drogas de abuso e predominância dos transtornos psicóticos. CONCLUSÃO: No período estudado, o Hospital Galba Velloso - FHEMIG manteve o volume total de atendimentos, mas observou-se redução da proporção de pacientes oriundos da capital, bem como redução da procura por diagnósticos associados a álcool e drogas de abuso, enquanto a categoria diagnóstica mais prevalente foi a dos transtornos psicóticos. Houve redução dos primeiros atendimentos e das internações prolongadas.