A elaboração de estatísticas de mortalidade segundo causas múltiplas Mortality statistics according to multiple causes of death

Uma das possibilidades permitidas pelo avanço tecnológico é o estudo da mortalidade por causas múltiplas em contraposição à estatística feita por uma única causa, a chamada causa básica de morte. O conhecimento das várias doenças que contribuem para uma morte permite que seja avaliada a importância das causas que normalmente não estariam privilegiadas nas estatísticas porque são doenças não caracterizadas como causa básica. Um exemplo é a mortalidade por infarto do miocárdio em pessoas com diabetes mellitus. Este último, neste caso e em outros semelhantes, poderá não ser considerado nas estatísticas, enquanto o infarto o será. Desta forma, no exemplo citado, analisando apenas a causa básica, perde-se a informação sobre a magnitude do diabetes e sua relação com as complicações que levam à morte. A idéia da elaboração de estatísticas de mortalidade segundo causas múltiplas não é nova. No entanto não é realizada de forma sistemática, ainda que vários estudos mostrem suas vantagens. Entre essas vantagens estão a possibilidade de descobrir novas associações de doenças; conhecer informações sobre a natureza das lesões em casos de morte por causas externas (acidentes e violências), entre outras. A existência de computadores e de programas específicos para a elaboração das estatísticas de mortalidade, atualmente em uso, deve permitir que essa idéia seja colocada em prática e que, a partir das estatísticas de mortalidade por causas múltiplas, possibilite melhores e mais específicas ações de saúde.<br>The introduction of new technology has made it possible to study multiple causes of death as opposed to mortality statistics based only on the underlying cause of death. The knowledge of all diseases that contribute to one death allows the assessment of the importance of causes that frequently do not appear in mortality statistics, because of those diseases that are not characterized as the underlying cause. An example is the death by myocardial infarction of a person that also has diabetes mellitus. The idea of producing mortality statistics according to multiple causes is not new. However, it is not a routine, although several studies have demonstrated its advantages. Among the advantages is the possibility of finding new associations of diseases and to know the nature of the injury according to the type of accident or violence. The utilization of computers and specific programs for producing mortality statistics enables multiple-cause statistical calculations, a practice that should be stimulated

Global Retinoblastoma Presentation and Analysis by National Income Level.

Early diagnosis of retinoblastoma, the most common intraocular cancer, can save both a child's life and vision. However, anecdotal evidence suggests that many children across the world are diagnosed late. To our knowledge, the clinical presentation of retinoblastoma has never been assessed on a global scale. To report the retinoblastoma stage at diagnosis in patients across the world during a single year, to investigate associations between clinical variables and national income level, and to investigate risk factors for advanced disease at diagnosis. A total of 278 retinoblastoma treatment centers were recruited from June 2017 through December 2018 to participate in a cross-sectional analysis of treatment-naive patients with retinoblastoma who were diagnosed in 2017. Age at presentation, proportion of familial history of retinoblastoma, and tumor stage and metastasis. The cohort included 4351 new patients from 153 countries; the median age at diagnosis was 30.5 (interquartile range, 18.3-45.9) months, and 1976 patients (45.4%) were female. Most patients (n = 3685 [84.7%]) were from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Globally, the most common indication for referral was leukocoria (n = 2638 [62.8%]), followed by strabismus (n = 429 [10.2%]) and proptosis (n = 309 [7.4%]). Patients from high-income countries (HICs) were diagnosed at a median age of 14.1 months, with 656 of 666 (98.5%) patients having intraocular retinoblastoma and 2 (0.3%) having metastasis. Patients from low-income countries were diagnosed at a median age of 30.5 months, with 256 of 521 (49.1%) having extraocular retinoblastoma and 94 of 498 (18.9%) having metastasis. Lower national income level was associated with older presentation age, higher proportion of locally advanced disease and distant metastasis, and smaller proportion of familial history of retinoblastoma. Advanced disease at diagnosis was more common in LMICs even after adjusting for age (odds ratio for low-income countries vs upper-middle-income countries and HICs, 17.92 [95% CI, 12.94-24.80], and for lower-middle-income countries vs upper-middle-income countries and HICs, 5.74 [95% CI, 4.30-7.68]). This study is estimated to have included more than half of all new retinoblastoma cases worldwide in 2017. Children from LMICs, where the main global retinoblastoma burden lies, presented at an older age with more advanced disease and demonstrated a smaller proportion of familial history of retinoblastoma, likely because many do not reach a childbearing age. Given that retinoblastoma is curable, these data are concerning and mandate intervention at national and international levels. Further studies are needed to investigate factors, other than age at presentation, that may be associated with advanced disease in LMICs