title: Characterization of autopsy-proven fatal asthma patients in São Paulo, Brazil.
abstract: Few data are available on autopsy-proven fatal asthma patients in São Paulo, Brazil. We characterized 73 asthma patients who were autopsied at the Serviço de Verificação de Obitos da Universidade de São Paulo between 1996 and 2004. An interview with the next of kin assessed socioeconomic status, history, and treatment of asthma. There were 42 women and 31 men. Fifty-six (76.7%) of them were older than 34 years. Sixty-three percent were Caucasians, 77.3% had < 8 years of schooling, and the median income was 1.6 times the minimum wage. Twenty-two patients (30.1%) were smokers and 14 (19.2%) were ex-smokers. Only 25 (34.2%) patients were regularly followed by a doctor. Only 12.3% received inhaled steroids. Thirty-five patients (47.9%) had moderate-to-severe asthma. Fifty-five (75.3%) deaths took place outside a hospital. We conclude that this population shares characteristics of severe or poorly controlled asthma, low educational and socioeconomic levels, and lack of medical care and of inhaled steroid use.
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, Patologia, São Paulo, Brazil. tmauad@usp.br
authors.forename: Thais
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mauad
authors.forename: Diogenes S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.forename: Maria Beatriz G
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.forename: Bianca B
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Araujo
authors.forename: Luiz Fernando F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Milton A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Martins
authors.forename: Sally E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Wenzel
authors.forename: Marisa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dolhnikoff
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001249:Asthma / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology*; D001344:Autopsy; D001938:Brazil; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged