[Aids as underlying and associated causes of death, State of S. Paulo, Brazil, 1998].
OBJECTIVE
To describe the Aids mortality according to its underlying and associated causes of death in the State of S. Paulo in 1998.


METHODS
Mortality and population data for 1998 were obtained from the State Data Analysis System Department (Fundação Sistema Estadual de Análise de Dados - Seade). Causes of death were coded according to the Tenth Revision of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems.


RESULTS
Aids was the underlying cause in 4,619 deaths, corresponding to the 10th leading cause of death (2.0%) and a mortality rate of 13.1/100,000 population. Male/female death ratio and rate ratios were respectively 2.4 and 2.5. Aids was the second leading cause of death among men aged 20--34 and women aged 25--34 years. Median age at death for women (34.1+/-12.2 years old) was lower than men (36.4+/-10.7 years old) - p<0,001. The main associated causes of Aids deaths were respiratory insufficiency (36.1%), pneumonia (27.0%), tuberculosis (19.6%), septicemia (18.6%), toxoplasmosis (12.2%), P. carinii pneumonia (8.3%) and cachexia (7.9%). Aids was an associated cause of death in additional 84 cases. The main underlying causes of these deaths were malignant neoplasms (28/84), conditions secondary to alcohol abuse (23/84) and diabetes mellitus (7/84). The median age at death due to Aids as an underlying cause (35.7+/-11.2 years old) was lower than the age at death with Aids as an associated cause (39.9+/-11.8 years old - p<0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Multiple causes of death allow to track part of the Aids natural history and provide additional data to develop adequate and specific preventive actions.
Santo
A H
AH
Departamento de Epidemiologia, Faculdade de Saúde Pública, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil. auhsanto@usp.br
Pinheiro
C E
CE
Jordani
M S
MS
D017088:AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / Q000401:mortality*; D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000401:mortality*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002423:Cause of Death; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged