title: [Autopsies at a nursing home].
abstract: We studied the clinical data and the autopsy findings of 88 patients to evaluate the importance of autopsies in Dutch nursing homes. The results of this retrospective analysis showed that 28% of the clinical diagnoses were not confirmed by autopsy. In 40% of the cases the direct cause of death was different from that expected by the clinician. In particulars, pneumonia and congestive heart failure relatively often caused diagnostic problems in a psychogeriatric nursing home. Autopsies appear to be useful to study causes of death, to verify the clinical diagnoses and to evaluate the results of treatment.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wabeke
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Derks
authors.forename: G R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Hoekstra
authors.forename: D H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Sipsma
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001344:Autopsy; D002423:Cause of Death; D003933:Diagnosis; D003951:Diagnostic Errors; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D009735:Nursing Homes; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000175:diagnosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies
vernacular_title: Obducties in een verpleeghuis.