Hospitalizations and deaths from drug poisoning and adverse reactions in Brazil: an analysis from 2000 to 2014

Abstract

In recent years, drug poisoning and adverse reactions have been an important cause of hospitalization and mortality and a major public health issue. The aim of this study was to describe trends in hospitalizations and deaths from drug poisoning and adverse reactions from 2000 to 2014. Data were from the Mortality Information System (SIM) and Information System on Authorizations for Hospital Admissions of the Brazilian Unified National Health System (SIH-SUS), and the study population was analyzed by sex, region of residence, and age bracket. Events were defined according to ICD-10 codes. The analysis of trends in the historical series used Prais-Winsten generalized linear regression with correction for first order autocorrelation effect. Both the hospitalizations and deaths during the study period showed upward trends. The analysis by regions maintained the upward trends for both events in the South and Southeast regions. Analysis according to age brackets showed downward trends in children under five years in both events, upward trend in deaths in individuals over four years of age, and an upward trend in hospitalizations in the age bracket from 20 to 59 years. Drug poisoning and adverse reactions contribute significantly to hospitalizations and deaths in Brazil, and the SIM and SIH-SUS are data sources with satisfactory quality for population-based studies on hospital morbidity and mortality in the country.