Abstract

SOARES, Beatriz Alves de Castro; SCATENA, João Henrique G.  and  GALVAO, Noemi Dreyer. Accidents and acts of violence in the metropolitan region of Cuiabá: what the analysis of demands for emergency services reveals. Epidemiol. Serv. Saúde [online]. 2009, vol.18, n.3, pp.265-276. ISSN 1679-4974.  http://dx.doi.org/10.5123/S1679-49742009000300009.

External causes of morbidity and mortality are relevant public health problems in Brazil. However, little is known about the victims who are not hospitalized and/or do not die. Seeking to analyze the main epidemiological characteristics of the victims of accidents and violence attended in Emergency Units, a cross-sectional study was carried out in specific services of the Unified Health System in Cuiabá, the capital city of the State of Mato Grosso. 2.532 medical assistance procedures reported by the emergency units, in September 2006, were studied. The main victims were young male adults. Accidents were outstanding (90.3%), with emphasis to falls (54.8%). Motorcycle accidents have predominated (45.9%) among road traffic injuries (26.8%). Specific accidents were related to work and suspicion of alcohol use has predominated in violence situations reported. The characteristic of the victims in Cuiabá, besides reaffirming the importance of the problem, which transcends the health sector, provides useful information for the implementation of intervention measures.

Keywords : morbidity; external cause; accidents; violence; emergency.

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