EPIDEMIOLOGICAL PROFILE OF DEATHS OCCURRING DURING TUBERCULOSIS TREATMENT IN PARANÁ

Tuberculosis remains an important cause of preventable mortality in Brazil, marked by significant regional and social inequalities. This study aimed to describe the epidemiological profile of deaths that occurred during tuberculosis treatment in the state of Paraná. A descriptive, cross-sectional study using secondary data from the Notifiable Diseases Information System. All tuberculosis-related deaths recorded between 2022 and 2024 were included, totaling 453 cases. Demographic variables (sex, age, race/color, municipal size), clinical variables (comorbidities), and laboratory variables (molecular and drug susceptibility tests) were analyzed. Descriptive statistics were applied, calculating absolute and relative frequencies and cumulative percentages. Annual distribution showed stability: 34.2% (n=155) in 2022, 33.3% (n=151) in 2023, and 32.5% (n=147) in 2024. Most cases were male (75.3%; n=341), adults aged 19–59 years (61.1%; n=277), and older adults (31.6%; n=143), with higher frequency among White (58.7%; n=266) and mixed-race individuals (31.3%; n=142). Analysis by municipal size revealed concentration in large cities (100,001–900,000 inhabitants) (48.1%; n=218) and metropolises (≥900,001 inhabitants) (12.6%; n=57). The most relevant comorbidities were alcohol use (33.3%; n=151), smoking (40%; n=181), diabetes (13.2%; n=60), and AIDS (9.7%; n=44). Pulmonary tuberculosis accounted for 80.8% (n=366) of cases. Extrapulmonary forms included miliary TB (6.2%; n=28), meningoencephalitic TB (4.0%; n=18), pleural TB (3.8%; n=17), genitourinary (0.9%; n=4), peripheral lymph node (1.3%; n=6), bone (0.2%; n=1), and other sites (2.9%; n=13). Results showed higher mortality among adult men and older adults. The stability of deaths over time indicates failures in control strategies, reinforcing the need for early diagnosis, supervised treatment, and integrated healthcare management of comorbidities. Intersectoral actions are essential to reduce tuberculosis mortality in Brazil.