OBJECTIVE: The goal of the investigation was to evaluate the accuracy of medical diagnostics of death causes. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In the framework of population-based postmortem examination program the latest premortem and postmortem diagnoses of the underlying (principal disease), direct (lethal complication) and contributory (contributory pathology) causes of death of 1030 deceased and autopsied people of local randomized unit (Jonava district) autopsy study were compared. RESULTS: The discrepancy between premortem and postmortem diagnoses was 35.3% in the category "circulatory system diseases", 26.5% in the category "malignant neoplasms", 41.1% in the category "lethal complications", and more than 50% in the category "contributory pathology". CONCLUSIONS: The accuracy of data on underlying death cause is significantly limited due to overstating of circulatory system diseases, especially ischemic heart disease and understating of malignancies. Among mismatches in lethal complication cases more significant for outcome of disease were pneumonia and embolism of lung arteries, in contributory pathology--chronic bronchitis and ischemic heart disease.
OBJECTIVE: The goal of the investigation was to evaluate the accuracy of medical diagnostics of death causes. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In the framework of population-based postmortem examination program the latest premortem and postmortem diagnoses of the underlying (principal disease), direct (lethal complication) and contributory (contributory pathology) causes of death of 1030 deceased and autopsied people of local randomized unit (Jonava district) autopsy study were compared. RESULTS: The discrepancy between premortem and postmortem diagnoses was 35.3% in the category "circulatory system diseases", 26.5% in the category "malignant neoplasms", 41.1% in the category "lethal complications", and more than 50% in the category "contributory pathology". CONCLUSIONS: The accuracy of data on underlying death cause is significantly limited due to overstating of circulatory system diseases, especially ischemic heart disease and understating of malignancies. Among mismatches in lethal complication cases more significant for outcome of disease were pneumonia and embolism of lung arteries, in contributory pathology--chronic bronchitis and ischemic heart disease.
Authors: Sandra Mazeikiene; Jurgita Stasiuniene; Diana Vasiljevaite; Sigitas Laima; Sigitas Chmieliauskas; Dmitrij Fomin; Rokas Simakauskas; Algimantas Jasulaitis Journal: Medicine (Baltimore) Date: 2020-01 Impact factor: 1.889