• Larissa Chaves de Carvalho, Consuelo Penha Castro Marques, and Vandilson Pinheiro Rodrigues.
• Universidade Federal do Maranhão, Departamento de Medicina - São Luís (MA), Brazil.
• Rev Assoc Med Bras (1992). 2021 Dec 1; 67 (12): 1804-1809.

ObjectiveThis study aimed to analyze the epidemiological and hospital characteristics of cases and deaths due to accidental tetanus in Brazil.MethodsA time-series study with secondary data extracted from the Department of Informatics of the Brazilian Unified Health System. The time series were evaluated by linear regression parameters, considering a significance level of 1%.ResultsA total of 2,772 cases were reported between 2009-2018. Predominant cases were men and aged between 40-59 years old, with incomplete 1st-4th grade. The lethality rate was found to be predominant in women, whites, illiterates, and those who aged above 80 years. The overall lethality was 32.5%. The incidence rate reduced from 1.6 in 2009 to 0.95 per million inhabitants in 2018, but lethality increased from 30.77-40.70%. The highest rate of incidence and lethality occurred in the elderly people and in the northern region.ConclusionThe high cost and lethality of tetanus configure it as a public health problem. The demonstration of the epidemiology of patients who most evolve to death can help to contribute to a reduction in lethality, which shows an increase in the analysis period. Finally, special attention should be given to the elderly people and those living in the northern region.

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