title: [Justification of routine autopsies after postoperative death].
abstract: Over a period from September 1981 to January 1983 data were collected from 97 autopsies following postoperative death (non-cardiac surgery). The autopsy rate was 73%. In 40% of the autopsies discrepancies were found between the clinical diagnosis and the cause of death found at autopsy. In 9% of the autopsies knowledge of the lesions that caused death might have changed the management of the patient and thus possibly also the prognosis. Since clinical practice has not changed considerably despite a ten year interval we consider the findings still valid today. Taking into account the decreasing rate of autopsy we want to stress that an important possibility of quality control of diagnosis and treatment in hospitals is about to be lost.
authors.affiliation: Patologisk afdeling PA, Rigshospitalet, København.
authors.forename: O J
authors.initials: OJ
authors.lastname: Jensen
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Nielsen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001344:Autopsy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003718:Denmark; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011786:Quality Control
vernacular_title: Berettigelsen af rutinemaessig obduktion ved postoperativ død.