GOALS: External causes of morbidity and mortality are relevant public health problems, although this kind of data is not very well known. Much is lost due to lack of information at emergency services. This study aimed to acknowledge the status of morbidity due to external causes in an emergency unit of a medium-size city in the south of the State of Minas Gerais Brazil. METHODS: a cross-sectional, descriptive study was performed along the year of 2003, involving 380 patients who were victims of external causes and referred to an emergency care service in Pouso Alegre, MG. RESULTS: The groups most frequently seen were: other external causes of accidental traumas (73.1%), especially contact with sharp objects, falls and dog bites/aggression. 13.7% of the individuals were victims of transportation accidents, and 10.8% were victims of aggression. Men presented a higher prevalence than women. Most of the victims were less than 40 years old. The site with the highest number of occurrences were households on weekends, between 12 and 5h59 p.m. The most common types of injuries were wounds. Traumas affected mostly upper limbs. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study may suggest that the status of external causes is very little known and approached in public health. The development of specific information systems is a possible alternative to acknowledge this kind of problem better.
External causes; Lesions; Accidents; Violence; Information System
