Georeferencing of deaths from sepsis in the city of São Paulo

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to obtain information about deaths due to sepsis in São Paulo from 2004 to 2009 and their relationship with geographical distribution. METHODS: Causes of death, both main and secondary, were defined according to the codes of the International Classification of Disease version 10 (ICD-10) contained in the database. Sepsis, septic shock, multiple organ failure, pneumonia, urinary tract infection, peritonitis and other intraabdominal infections, skin and soft tissue infections (including surgical wound infection) and meningitis were considered as immediate cause of death or as the condition leading to the immediate cause of death related or associated to sepsis. RESULTS: In the analyzed period, there was a 15.3% increase in the absolute number of deaths from sepsis in São Paulo. The mean number of deaths during this period was 28,472 ± 1566. Most deaths due to sepsis and sepsis-related diseases over the studied period occurred in a hospital or health care facility, showing that most of the patients received medical care during the event that led to death. We observed a significant concentration of deaths in the most populous regions, tending more toward the center of the city. CONCLUSIONS: Georeferencing data from death certificates or other sources can be a powerful tool to uncover regional epidemiological differences between populations. Our study revealed an even distribution of sepsis all over the inhabited areas of São Paulo.