Spatial analysis of deaths from pulmonary tuberculosis in the city of São Luís, Brazil.

OBJECTIVE: To characterize deaths from pulmonary tuberculosis, according to sociodemographic and operational variables, in the city of São Luís, Brazil, and to describe their spatial distribution. METHODS: This was an exploratory ecological study based on secondary data from death certificates, obtained from the Brazilian Mortality Database, related to deaths from pulmonary tuberculosis. We included all deaths attributed to pulmonary tuberculosis that occurred in the urban area of São Luís between 2008 and 2012. We performed univariate and bivariate analyses of the sociodemographic and operational variables of the deaths investigated, as well as evaluating the spatial distribution of the events by kernel density estimation. RESULTS: During the study period, there were 193 deaths from pulmonary tuberculosis in São Luís. The median age of the affected individuals was 52 years. Of the 193 individuals who died, 142 (73.60%) were male, 133 (68.91%) were Mulatto, 102 (53.13%) were single, and 64 (33.16%) had completed middle school. There was a significant positive association between not having received medical care prior to death and an autopsy having been performed (p = 0.001). A thematic map by density of points showed that the spatial distribution of those deaths was heterogeneous and that the density was as high as 8.12 deaths/km2. CONCLUSIONS: The sociodemographic and operational characteristics of the deaths from pulmonary tuberculosis evaluated in this study, as well as the identification of priority areas for control and surveillance of the disease, could promote public health policies aimed at reducing health inequities, allowing the optimization of resources, as well as informing decisions regarding the selection of strategies and specific interventions targeting the most vulnerable populations.

Patients' perceptions on the performance of a local health system to eliminate leprosy,Paraná State, Brazil.

BACKGROUND: In Brazil, leprosy has been listed among the health priorities since 2006, in a plan known as the "Pact for life" (Pacto pela Vida). It is the sole country on the American continent that has not reached the global goal of disease elimination. Local health systems face many challenges to achieve this global goal. The study aimed to investigate how patients perceive the local health system's performance to eliminate leprosy and whether these perceptions differ in terms of the patients' income. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Londrina, State of Paraná, Brazil. Interviews were performed with the leprosy patients. The local health system was assessed through a structured and adapted tool, considering the domains judged as good quality of health care. The authors used univariate, bivariate and multivariate analyses. One hundred and nineteen patients were recruited for the study, 50.4% (60) of them were male, 54.0% (64) were between 42 and 65 years old and 66.3% (79) had finished elementary school. The results showed that patients used the Primary Health Care service near their place of residence but did not receive the leprosy diagnosis there. Important advances of this health system were verified for the elimination of leprosy, verifying protocols for good care delivery to the leprosy patients, but these services did not develop collective health actions and did not engage the patients' family members and community. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The patients' difficulty was observed to have access to the diagnosis and treatment at health services near their homes. Leprosy care is provided at the specialized level, where the patients strongly bond with the teams. The care process is individual, with limited perspectives of integration among the health services for the purpose of case management and social mobilization of the community to the leprosy problem.

Spatial analysis of deaths from pulmonary tuberculosis in the city of São Luís, Brazil / Análise espacial dos óbitos por tuberculose pulmonar em São Luís, Maranhão

OBJECTIVE: To characterize deaths from pulmonary tuberculosis, according to sociodemographic and operational variables, in the city of São Luís, Brazil, and to describe their spatial distribution. METHODS: This was an exploratory ecological study based on secondary data from death certificates, obtained from the Brazilian Mortality Database, related to deaths from pulmonary tuberculosis. We included all deaths attributed to pulmonary tuberculosis that occurred in the urban area of São Luís between 2008 and 2012. We performed univariate and bivariate analyses of the sociodemographic and operational variables of the deaths investigated, as well as evaluating the spatial distribution of the events by kernel density estimation. RESULTS: During the study period, there were 193 deaths from pulmonary tuberculosis in São Luís. The median age of the affected individuals was 52 years. Of the 193 individuals who died, 142 (73.60%) were male, 133 (68.91%) were Mulatto, 102 (53.13%) were single, and 64 (33.16%) had completed middle school. There was a significant positive association between not having received medical care prior to death and an autopsy having been performed (p = 0.001). A thematic map by density of points showed that the spatial distribution of those deaths was heterogeneous and that the density was as high as 8.12 deaths/km2. CONCLUSIONS: The sociodemographic and operational characteristics of the deaths from pulmonary tuberculosis evaluated in this study, as well as the identification of priority areas for control and surveillance of the disease, could promote public health policies aimed at reducing health inequities, allowing the optimization of resources, as well as informing decisions regarding the selection of strategies and specific interventions targeting the most vulnerable populations. .

OBJETIVO: Caracterizar os óbitos por tuberculose pulmonar em São Luís (MA) segundo variáveis sociodemográficas e operacionais e descrever sua distribuição espacial. MÉTODOS: Estudo ecológico e exploratório baseado em dados secundários oriundos das declarações de óbitos por tuberculose pulmonar do Sistema de Informação sobre Mortalidade. Foram incluídos todos os óbitos por tuberculose pulmonar ocorridos na zona urbana de São Luís entre 2008 e 2012. Foram realizadas análises univariadas e bivariadas das variáveis sociodemográficas e operacionais dos óbitos investigados e a distribuição espacial dos eventos por kernel density estimation. RESULTADOS: No período estudado, foram registrados 193 óbitos. A mediana de idade foi de 52 anos. Dos 193 indivíduos, 142 (73,60%) eram do sexo masculino, 133 (68,91%) da raça/cor parda, 102 (53,13%) eram solteiros, e 64 (33,16%) haviam completado o ensino fundamental. Observou-se que não ter recebido assistência médica antes do óbito teve uma associação estatisticamente significativa com a realização de necropsia (p = 0,001). O mapa temático por densidade de pontos demonstrou uma heterogeneidade na distribuição espacial dos óbitos, com taxas de até 8,12 óbitos/km2. CONCLUSÕES: As características sociodemográficas e operacionais dos óbitos por tuberculose pulmonar evidenciadas nessa investigação, bem como a identificação dos locais prioritários para o controle e a vigilância da doença, poderão auxiliar a gestão pública na diminuição das iniquidades em saúde e permitir uma otimização dos recursos, fornecendo subsídios para a escolha de estratégias e intervenções ...

Fatores associados às incapacidades em pacientes diagnosticados de Hanseníase: um estudo transversal / Factors associated with disabilities on patients diagnosed with Hansen’s disease: a cross-sectional study

O objetivo do estudo foi analisar os fatores associado sàs incapacidades em pacientes diagnosticados de hanseníase.Trata-se de um estudo epidemiológico de corte transversal com dados oriundos dos municípios que compõem a 17ª Regional de Saúde do Estado do Paraná.Os dados foram obtidos do Sistema de Informação de Agravos de Notificação, sendo selecionados os casos diagnosticados de hanseníase entre 2009 e 2012. Para testar associação entre as incapacidades de hanseníase e as variáveis independentes recorreu-se ao teste qui-quadrado de proporções bicaudal. Fixou-se alpha em 5% (α= 0,05) como estatisticamente significativo. Foram identificados 245 casos de hanseníase diagnosticados, destes 129 (52,7%) eram do sexo masculino, com faixa etária acima dos 46 anos (n=103; 52,7%). Os fatores que apresentaram associação estatisticamente significativas comas incapacidades foram baixa escolaridade (p<0,001),idade avançada (p<0,001), ter sido transferido, reingresso ou recidivas (p=0,007). As incapacidades correspondem um problema importante no cenário investigado, verificando grupos mais acometidos por esse evento do que outros, assim esses primeiros devem ser priorizados em termos de oferta de ações e serviços de saúde.

This study aimed to analyze factors associated with disabilitieson patients diagnosed with Hansen’s disease.It was an epidemiological and cross-sectional study,which included data from municipalities of 17th HealthRegional Department of Paraná State. Data were gatheredthrough Information System for Notifiable Diseases(Sinan), being selected cases diagnosed with Hansen’sdisease between years 2009 and 2012. To analyze associationbetween Hansen’s disease disability degrees andindependent variables two-sided proportion chi-squarewas used. Alpha in 5% (α = 0,05) was defined as statisticallysignificant. Two hundred and forty five cases withHansen’s disease were identified to the study, of whose129 (52.7%) were male, aged 48 years old or older(n=103; 52,7%). Factors associated with Hansen’s diseasedisabilities were low level of schooling (p<0.001), old age(p<0.001), to be migrated, reentry and relapse (p=0.007).Hansen’s disease disabilities represent an important problemin scenario of study, observing groups more susceptibleto this event than others, therefore those firstshould be prioritized in terms of health actions offeringand health services.