Estimate of subnotification of deaths by congenital syphilis in Recife-Pernambuco, Brazil, 2010-2016: linkage between mortality information systems and notification aggravation

Abstract

Objective: To estimate the sub-notification of fetus and child deaths which had innate syphilis as the main or associated cause in Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil, between 2010-2016. Methods: Probabilistic linkage was applied to the notified cases of innate syphilis present in the Notification Aggravation Information System and for fetus and child deaths caused by innate syphilis recorded in the Mortality Information System. Results: 170 notifications and records of fetus and child to innate syphilis were paired. There has been sub-notification in fetus and child deaths caused by innate syphilis in 80.9% in Notification Aggravation Information System and 7.0% in Mortality Information System, which enabled the increment of 2.3% and of 7.0% respectively. Conclusion: The results obtained in this study which hampers the understanding of the real magnitude of deaths caused by this disease.