SUMMARY
Objective:
This study aimed to analyze the epidemiological and hospital characteristics of cases and deaths due to accidental tetanus in Brazil.
Methods:
A time-series study with secondary data extracted from the Department of Informatics of the Brazilian Unified Health System. The time series were evaluated by linear regression parameters, considering a significance level of 1%.
Results:
A total of 2,772 cases were reported between 2009–2018. Predominant cases were men and aged between 40–59 years old, with incomplete 1st–4th grade. The lethality rate was found to be predominant in women, whites, illiterates, and those who aged above 80 years. The overall lethality was 32.5%. The incidence rate reduced from 1.6 in 2009 to 0.95 per million inhabitants in 2018, but lethality increased from 30.77–40.70%. The highest rate of incidence and lethality occurred in the elderly people and in the northern region.
Conclusion:
The high cost and lethality of tetanus configure it as a public health problem. The demonstration of the epidemiology of patients who most evolve to death can help to contribute to a reduction in lethality, which shows an increase in the analysis period. Finally, special attention should be given to the elderly people and those living in the northern region.
KEYWORDS:
Tetanus; Incidence; Epidemiology; Brazil
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