Accuracy of mortality indicators due sepsis-associated deaths in the Federal District

Background: Sepsis currently represents a challenge for health systems, this fact may be related to the spread of bacterial resistance, the increase in the population of elderly, immunosuppressed individuals, and the improvement of emergency care, favoring the survival of critically ill patients. This article aimed to evaluate the accuracy of mortality indicators due to sepsis in 2018. Method: Validation study of death certificates that occurred in the Federal District in 2018. Declarations whose basic causes of death identified were classified as garbage codes were identified, which were investigated by a multidisciplinary team, capable of reclassifying them with codes that allow for the improvement of health data. In order to assess accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, positive and negative likelihood ratios of death certificates from sepsis were calculated, with 95% confidence intervals. Results: A total of 6.244 statements were evaluated, of which 233 (3.74%) presented sepsis as the underlying cause before being investigated and only 35 (0.56%) maintained it after the investigation. The filling of statements with sepsis as the underlying cause by physicians showed a sensitivity of 0.9% (95%CI: 0.6 to 1.3) and a specificity of 92.0% (95%CI: 90.9 to 93.1). Conclusion: The low accuracy of the declarations demonstrates the non-reliability of the underlying cause of death from sepsis, especially the completion of death certificates that occurred in the Federal District in 2018.