Analysis of Deaths Occurred in Households during the Pandemic by COVID-19 in a Brazilian Amazon Region: An Epidemiological Approach

Abstract

In the absence of an analysis of deaths at home from an epidemiological perspective, this study aims to analyze and describe the epidemiological profile of deaths at home assessed by the Death Ceremony Service (DCS) during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in the metropolitan region of the Brazilian Amazon, Belém do Pará. A descriptive, quantitative, secondary-based study based on the databases of the Mortality Information System (SIM), referring to the deaths that occurred from March 1 to March 27 June 2020. The variables worked were related to the profile and the causes in the death certificate. The causes of home deaths in 2019 were used to compare with 2020. In the indicated period, 1,203 deaths occurred, an increase of 454% in relation to 2019. The male gender (57.30%), the age group of 60+ (80.80%) and brown race (77.70%) were the most frequent. The main cause of death Acute myocardial infarction (15.05%) followed by COVID-19 (10.29%). During the pandemic, the majority of home deaths were not directly caused by COVID-19, however, they were influenced by it due to the need for social isolation, with the impossibility of obtaining the proper diagnosis or proper treatment, due to the impossibility of on-site care or lack of immediate response.

Using the Evidence-Development-Validation-Consensus (EDVC) Approach to Develop and Validate maxSIMdrone: A Training Program for Healthcare Professionals to Provide Cardiac Arrest Care Using Drones

“…In the Brazilian Amazon, a descriptive and quantitative epidemiological study has revealed that CA is the leading cause of death (15.05%), followed by COVID-19 (10.29%) in 2020 and 2021 [6]. These statistics highlight the importance of providing emergency medical service (EMS) personnel in R&R locations with courses and training in BLS and guidance on how to instruct LP to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) techniques through mobile communication tools, even during a pandemic.…”

“…However, teaching HCPs and LP in R&R locations poses significant challenges, particularly in areas such as the north of Canada and the Brazilian Amazon, where HCPs require continuous training and work in remote areas with limited resources, power, and internet access [8]. The Brazilian Amazon presents a unique challenge, as HCPs in the heart of the forest have limited access to resources [6]. One potential solution is the use of a remote online learning management system (LMS), which provides administration, documentation, tracking, reporting, automation, and delivery of educational courses and training programs [9].…”

Comparing Learning Outcomes in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and/or Automated External Defibrillator (AED) Training for Laypeople in Face-to-Face, Online, and Mixed Training Methods: An Integrative Literature Review

“…In public places and outside hospitals, the global incidence of CA is reported to be 47.3 per 100,000 person-years in North America, 40.6 in Europe, 51.1 in Australia, and 45.9 in Asia [2][3][4][5]. Finally, in the Brazilian Amazon specifically, a descriptive and quantitative epidemiological study shows that CA is also the main cause when death occurs far from a hospital (15.05%), followed by COVID-19 (10.29%), even during the pandemic in 2020 and 2021 [6].…”

Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes among Vaccinated and Unvaccinated Patients with Cardiovascular Disease Who Were Hospitalized for COVID-19 in Brazil: Retrospective Cohort

“…People were also in fear of seeking hospital services and being infected, and outpatient follow-up in cases of heart failure and other pathologies were interrupted. The consequences were excess deaths in people with CVD [18][19][20].…”