title: [Chagas' disease as main cause of death in the southeastern region of Brazil: presence of contributory causes].
abstract: Death certificates of all persons who died in in the State of S.Paulo, Brazil and which presented Chagas' disease as the principal cause of death, were studied with a view to analysing the existing additional information available as to contributory causes. After a direct reading of the 1,308 death certificates, the contributory causes were identified and registered. They were mentioned in 261 (20%) of the certificates, 185 of them presenting only one, and 75 two of them. The 6 more frequent contributory causes were: "megas", embolism, chronic pulmonary disease, infections (other than Chagas' disease), arterial hypertension and malnutrition. When analysing the presence of the contributory causes in two groups-persons of less than 50 years old, and those older than 50 a higher proportion of them was observed in the older group and a distinct profile of causes was found for each group. No statistic association was observed between contributory causes and sex or site of residence.
authors.affiliation: Superintendência de Controle de Endemias (SUCEN), São Paulo, Brasil.
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Wanderley
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Litvoc
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002423:Cause of Death; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000401:mortality*; D003644:Death Certificates; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012737:Sex Factors
vernacular_title: Doenca de Chagas como causa básica de óbito na região sudeste do Brasil: presença de causas contributárias.