Evaluation of deaths from external causes in a State in Brazil

Introduction: In the last century, infecctious diseases were the main cause of death in Brazil and in the world, currently external causes are one of the major public health concerns. The present study aimed to assess deaths from external causes in a Brazilian state. Materials and methods: This is a retrospective descriptive comparative epidemiological study, using national databases from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) and the SUS Department of Informatics (DATASUS) from 2010 to 2017. Results: It was observed whereas in the state of Maranhão, deaths from external causes have increased over the years, aggressions are the main cause of death from external causes with 42% of the total, the age group of 80 years or more is the most susceptible with 15.44 per 1,000 inhabitants assessing each year of the study and men have a higher mortality rate compared to women. Conclusion: the results of the present study expose the heterogeneity of the indicator, suggesting that it is essential that health authorities are attentive to all these social determinants so that they can formulate public policies to the satisfaction of the specificity of their population.