Causes of death in a hospitalized geriatric population: An autopsy study of 3000 patients

AbstractObjectivesTo identify the causes of death and main cardiovascular complications in adolescents and adults with congenitally malformed hearts.DesignRetrospective review of 102 necropsy reports from a tertiary centre obtained over a period of 19 years.MethodsThe diagnosis, the operated or non-operated state of the main defect, the cause of death, and main complications were related to the age and gender. Other clinically relevant conditions, and identifiable sequels of previous diseases, were also noted.ResultsThe ages ranged from 15 to 69 years, with a mean of 31.1 and a median of 28 years, with no difference detected according to the gender. Of the patients, two-thirds had been submitted to at least one cardiac surgery. The mean age of death was significantly higher in non-operated patients (p = 0.003). The most prevalent cause of death in the whole group was related to recent surgery, found in one-third. From them, two-fifths corresponded to reoperations. Among the others, cardiac failure was the main terminal cause in another third, and the second cause was pulmonary thromboembolism in just over one-fifth, presenting a significant association with histopathological signs of pulmonary hypertension (p = 0.011). Infection was the cause of death in 7.8% of the patients, all previously operated. Acute infective endocarditis was present or was the indication for the recent surgery in one-tenth of the patients, this cohort having a mean age of 27.8 years. There was a statistically significant association between the occurrence of endocarditis and defects causing low pulmonary blood flow (p = 0.043).ConclusionsData derived from necropsies of adults with congenital heart defects can help the multidisciplinary team refine both their diagnosis and treatment.

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Faculty Opinions recommendation of Causes of death in hospitalized adults with a premortem diagnosis of tuberculosis: an autopsy study.

Faculty Opinions – Post-Publication Peer Review of the Biomedical Literature ◽

10.3410/f.1093865.548795 ◽

2007 ◽

Author(s):

Anthony Harries

Keyword(s):

Causes Of Death ◽

Autopsy Study

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Custodial deaths seen in the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, Lagos, Nigeria: An 11-year autopsy study

Medicine Science and the Law ◽

10.1177/00258024211004230 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 002580242110042

Author(s):

Sunday S Soyemi ◽

Adedayo F Faduyile ◽

Ayodele D Sanni ◽

Alban I Mgbehoma ◽

John O Obafunwa

Keyword(s):

Causes Of Death ◽

Hypertensive Heart Disease ◽

Cerebral Injury ◽

Medical Examiner ◽

Autopsy Study ◽

Manner Of Death ◽

Blunt Force Trauma ◽

Global Concern ◽

Males And Females ◽

Deaths In Custody

Introduction Deaths in custody are a matter of global concern. However, such information is often missing in developing countries. This study aimed to examine retrospectively the profile, cause and manner of deaths amongst cases of custodial deaths in Lagos State, Nigeria. Method An 11-year study (June 2008–June 2019) was done of all autopsy cases of custodial deaths in the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. Variables including age, sex, offence, place of death, duration in custody prior to death and cause and manner of death were extracted from the records. Results were analysed using frequencies and percentages. Results Out of 9894 autopsies over the study period, 45 custodial deaths were identified. Males and females constituted 84.4% and 15.6%, respectively (M:F = 5.4:1). Ages ranged from 20 to 64 years, with a mean age of 37 ± 11.0 years. These deaths were most common in the third decade. Armed robbery and financial crime were the two leading reasons for arrest, while most deaths occurred within 24 hours of arrival in custody. The two leading causes of death were acute cardiac failure from hypertensive heart disease and cranio-cerebral injury from blunt-force trauma. Conclusion Deaths in custody need to be properly investigated and particular attention needs to be paid to unlawful deaths if and when they arise.

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Near-hanging with outliving period: Pathoforensic aspects

Srpski arhiv za celokupno lekarstvo ◽

10.2298/sarh1204198z ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 140 (3-4) ◽

pp. 198-203

Author(s):

Vladimir Zivkovic ◽

Slobodan Nikolic

Keyword(s):

Prognostic Factors ◽

Causes Of Death ◽

Attempted Suicide ◽

Cardiopulmonary Arrest ◽

Deep Coma ◽

Ischemic Brain Injury ◽

Autopsy Study ◽

Ischemic Brain ◽

Police Reports ◽

Hard Structures

Introduction. Hanging usually ends in death, and about 80% of victims are found dead at the scene of the hanging. However, sometimes the hanging victims overlive for some time, and sometimes even survive the hanging. Objective. The aim was to determine the causes of death in nearhanging cases, in people who have been outliving hanging for some time, to explain the pathophysiological mechanisms leading to death, and to identify prognostic factors for this outcome. Methods. Retrospective autopsy study was performed for a twelve-year period. There were only seven cases of near hanging. The sample was analyzed according to gender, age, circumstances of death, and autopsy findings of all observed subjects. The relevant data were collected from autopsy records, police reports and heteroanamnestic interviews. Results. The sample consisted of five men and two women, average age 48.3?19.9 years (29-81 years). The average outliving period was 3.8?2.6 days (from 7 hours to 7 days). Six people were admitted to hospital in the state of deep coma. In six cases cardiopulmonary arrest occurred after the hanging attempt and all were reanimated for a shorter or longer time until admission at hospital. Conclusion. Survival after attempted suicide by hanging occurs extremely rarely. In all the cases, the immediate cause of death after attempted hanging was ischemic brain injury, with a significant and pronounced oedema. In all the cases observed, regardless of the presence or absence of injuries of soft and hard structures of the neck, there was a ligature mark on the neck skin. Acute hemorrhagic gastritis with melaena was present in a significant number of reported cases of near-hanging.

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