Estimated underreporting of congenital syphilis deaths in Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil, 2010-2016: linkage between the mortality information system and the notifiable health conditions information system

• Published in: Epidemiologia e serviços de saúde 2021-01, Vol.30 (3), p.e2020501-e2020501
• Main Authors: Belo, Martha Maria de Albuquerque, Oliveira, Conceição Maria de, Barros, Sheyla Carvalho de, Maia, Lívia Teixeira de Souza, Bonfim, Cristine Vieira do
• Format: Article
• Language: eng ; por
• ISSN: 2237-9622
• DOI: 10.1590/S1679-49742021000300009

OBJECTIVETo estimate underreporting of fetus and infant deaths having congenital syphilis as their underlying or associated cause in Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil, between 2010-2016. METHODSProbabilistic database linkage was carried out between congenital syphilis cases recorded on the Notifiable Health Conditions Information System and fetus and infant deaths due to congenital syphilis recorded on the Mortality Information System. RESULTS170 fetus and infant congenital syphilis deaths were matched. Fetus and infant deaths due to congenital syphilis were underreported by 80.9% on the Notifiable Health Conditions Information System and by 7.0% on the Mortality Information System, accounting for an increase of 2.3% and 7.0% in the final databases, respectively. CONCLUSIONThe underreporting identified compromises knowledge of the true magnitude of deaths caused by this disease.