title: The role of autopsy in death resulting from trauma.
abstract: This study examined the difference between clinical impressions and autopsy findings in a group of patients dying on a university surgical service after blunt injury, penetrating injury, or thermal burns. Of 215 patients dying between the years 1984 and 1988, 212 were included in this study (autopsy rate, 98.6%). Major discrepancies in clinical diagnosis versus the anatomic diagnosis at autopsy were found to occur in approximately 30% of patients. The incidence of errors in diagnosis which may have impacted on survival in these groups of injured patients was quite low (5.1%). These data support the continued practice of obtaining autopsy in all patients dying from trauma. This information is clinically relevant, and, in today's atmosphere of quality assurance, absolutely necessary for a modern trauma center.
authors.affiliation: University of Texas Medical Branch, Department of Surgery, Galveston 77550.
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Stothert
authors.forename: G B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Gbaanador
authors.forename: D N
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: Herndon
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001344:Autopsy; D002056:Burns / Q000401:mortality; D002648:Child; D003951:Diagnostic Errors; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000592:standards; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D013781:Texas / Q000453:epidemiology; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality* / Q000628:therapy; D014949:Wounds, Nonpenetrating / Q000401:mortality; D014950:Wounds, Penetrating / Q000401:mortality