[Accidents and acts of violence in Brazil: III--Economic impact of external causes in Brazil: an attempt at measurement].

The study seeks to make a first estimate of the economic impact of lesions and poisonings in Brazil, measured in terms of hospital expenses on internments--in days of general permanence and in Intensive Care Units. Internments is hospital under contracts with the United Health System are analysed by means of the AIH-- Authorization for Hospital Internment. These internments involve expenses per annum corresponding to approximately 0.07% of the GNP of the country. With regard to mortality, the economic impact has been analysed by the use of the Potential Years of Life Lost indicator. It may be verified that accidents and acts of violence represented about 2.6 million years of life lost in 1981, and 3.4 millions in 1991. The increase was thus of about 30%, even though for the total of data deaths showed a reduction. Despite some limitations, it is possible to estimate the general magnitude of the economic impact of external causes of death. It is hoped that these limitations may serve as a stimulus to new and deeper investigations.