MORTALITY FROM SUPPURATIVE AND UNSPECIFIED OTITIS MEDIA IN BRAZIL: ANALYSIS BY SEX AND AGE GROUP, 2016-2025

Abstract

Objective: to analyze the temporal distribution of deaths from suppurative and unspecified otitis media (ICD-10 H66) in Brazil by sex and age group from 2016 to 2025. Methods: an ecological, descriptive time-series study using aggregated data from the Mortality Information System made available by the Brazilian Unified Health System Department of Informatics. Absolute frequencies, proportions, and annual percentage changes were calculated; mortality rates were not estimated because the analyzed tables did not provide population denominators. Results: 1,017 deaths were recorded, with an annual mean of 101.7. The lowest count occurred in 2020 (67) and the highest in 2024 (164). Males showed a slight predominance (523; 51.4%), although females accounted for more deaths in 2023 and 2024. People aged 50 years or older represented 55.5% of records, and the group aged 80 years or older had the largest total (148; 14.6%). Conclusion: deaths were uncommon in absolute terms but concentrated at older ages and increased sharply after 2021, peaking in 2024. The findings support stronger surveillance, timely access to ear care, and cautious interpretation of fluctuations, particularly during the pandemic period and for the most recent year.