Emergency room visits due to external causes and alcohol consumption--Capitals and the Federal District, Brazil, 2011.

The study objective was to describe the profile and factors related to alcohol consumption among emergency room visits by external causes. It is a cross-sectional study with data from the Survey of Violence and Injuries in Emergency between September and October 2011, in 24 state capitals and the Federal District. Statistical analysis were performed for all cases treated in selected services, comparing the characteristics of the victims, according to the statement of alcohol consumption. 33,289 visits to emergency rooms by external causes in the population above 18 years of age were included. The prevalence of self-reported statement of alcohol consumption among these services was 14.9% for the 24 capitals and the Federal District, and was significantly higher among visits by violent causes than by accidents. For both accidents and violence the associated causes were victims male, black/brown, less educated, members of specific populations, occurrences on public roads. The results support global discussions on the importance of establishing policies and legal measures to restrict the consumption of alcohol and vehicular direction, control advertising of alcoholic beverages, and laws normalizing the functioning of sales points of alcoholic beverages.

Gender inequalities in external cause mortality in Brazil, 2010.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate mortality rate by external causes in Brazil. METHODS: Mortality national 2010's data corrected by underreport and adjusted by direct method were evaluated by sex according to age, region of residence, race/skin color, education and conjugal situation. RESULTS: The standardized mortality coefficient of external causes is higher among men (178 per thousand inhabitants) than among women (24 per thousand inhabitants), being higher among young men (20 to 29 years old) in all regions and decreasing with aging. The mortality rate reaches almost nine times higher among men comparably to women, being higher in North and Northeast regions. The death incidence by external causes is higher among men (36.4%) than among women (10.9%), meaning 170% more risk for men. The risk is also higher among the youngest: 6.00 for men and 7.36 for women. The main kind of death by external causes among men is aggressions, followed by transport accidents, the opposite of women. CONCLUSIONS: Besides sex, age is the more important predictive factor of precocious death by external causes, pointing the need of many and various sectors in order to construct new identities of non violence.

[Accidents by external causes in adolescents: care in sentinel urgency and emergency services in the Brazilian State Capitals--2009]. / Causas externas em adolescentes: atendimentos em serviços sentinelas de urgência e emergência nas Capitais Brasileiras - 2009.

Adolescents are seeking new references and experiences, which may involve attitudes of risk and exposure to accidents and violence from external causes. These events constitute a serious Public Health problem. The scope of this study was to analyze the occurrence of accidents by external causes in adolescents from 10 to 19 years of age attended at sentinel urgency and emergency services in Brazil. Data from the 2009 Surveillance System for Violence and Accidents (VIVA 2009) was analyzed in 74 emergency units in 23 state capitals and the Federal District. The findings revealed that 6,434 adolescents (89.8%) were victims of accidents and 730 (10.2 %) were victims of violence. The main causes of the accidents were falls and traffic accidents, and assaults were predominant in violence. For both accidents and violence, non-white male adolescents were predominant and the events occurred most frequently on the public highways. A marked increase was detected, with hospitalization of victims of violence between 15 and 19 years of age. Understanding the epidemiological reality of external causes among adolescents represents an important tool for health prevention and promotion policies and the culture of peace seeking to reduce morbidity and mortality.

[Violence against the elderly: analysis of the reports made in the health sector--Brazil, 2010]. / Violência contra a pessoa idosa: análise das notificações realizadas no setor saúde - Brasil, 2010.

The scope of this study was to describe reports of violence against the elderly (e" 60 years) reported in the Information System for Notifiable Diseases - net version (Sinan Net) in 2010. We conducted a descriptive, retrospective study with data analyzed by Stata version 11. We estimated proportion ratios (PR) of violence according to selected variables. Of the 3,593 reports of violence against the elderly, 52.3% were against females. Physical violence was significantly more frequent against males (PR=0.82) in the group aged 60 to 69 years, out of the home, committed by offenders who were not sons and were suspected of drinking alcohol. Psychological violence was more common among elderly people (PR=2.17), in the home, inflicted by sons, with suspected chronic alcohol abuse. Negligence was predominant among females (P R=1.24), in the group above 70 years of age, in the home, recurrently perpetrated by sons. Sexual violence was more common against females (PR=5.21), by offenders who were not children, but who consumed alcohol. The knowledge of the different manifestations of violence against the elderly supports actions to combat them, identifying characteristics of vulnerability in which support networks may intervene.