Unattended death causes amongst elderly population in developing countries: the case of Brazil (1996-2005)

OBJECTIVES: This paper has as a goal to investigate the distribution of ill defined deaths ton elderly population, in 1996-2005 period, in Brazil. It has as a main focus the proportion of unattended deaths, that shows significative results in developing countries. METHODS: The researched data come from the Mortality System of Datasus. The ill defined deaths are included in the 10th revision of ICD, in the chapter XVIII - Symptoms and abnormal findings not classified in another part. This chapter shows the R98 category, the unattended deaths, and it has been used to calculate indicators, standardized to the age structure of the elderly population of the year 2000. The data were analyzed grouped by Federation Units. RESULTS: The results suggest that, in general, in Brazil this unattended deaths cases notification are falling, but there some Federation Units that presents elevations in those indicators. CONCLUSION: The mortality data in Brazil must to be improved, since great number of under notification. The fact is that, in Brazil, in general, the unattended deaths cases in the elderly populations are falling, and some Federation Units have rising trends, suggests that policies to provide access to elder people to the public health system have to be revised. It is important to public health managers to pay attention in the occurrence of this event.