Underreporting of unfavorable outcomes of congenital syphilis on the Notifiable Health Conditions Information System in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, 2007-2018.

OBJECTIVE

to describe the frequency of underreporting of unfavorable outcomes of congenital syphilis in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, 2007-2018.

METHODS

this was a descriptive study of cases of abortion, fetal and non-fetal deaths due to congenital syphilis reported on the Notifiable Health Conditions Information System (Sistema de Informação de Agravos de Notificação - SINAN), and those of congenital syphilis registered in any line in the Death Certificate, on the Mortality Information System (Sistema de Informações sobre Mortalidade - SIM), by means of probabilistic and deterministic linkage.

RESULTS

of the 27,713 cases of congenital syphilis reported, 1,320 progressed to death (871 fetal deaths, 449 infant deaths) and were matched to the SIM; 355 deaths (259 fetal deaths, 96 infant deaths) were not included on SINAN; there was an increase in unfavorable outcomes,11.4% for infant deaths due to congenital syphilis, 3.0% for fetal deaths and 1.9% for abortions.

CONCLUSION

the use of different relationship techniques proved to be adequate to identify the frequency of underreporting of unfavorable outcomes of congenital syphilis in the state of São Paulo.