[Concordance of the clinical and autoptic pathological diagnosis].
OBJECTIVE
To determine the degree of concordance between clinical and autopsy diagnosis.


METHODS
The records of 67 autopsies and clinical files of children and adults, comprising the years 1995 to 1996, from a third level hospital in the State of Veracruz, Mexico, were revised. The concordance score was calculated with the statistical kappa.


RESULTS
In general, the rate of autopsy was 10.5%, with higher frequency for children (17.5%). In children, 59% of clinical diagnoses revealed mistakes and in adults, 57%. The degree of agreement in the underlying cause ante and postmortem was 26% in children and 41% in adults.


CONCLUSIONS
The high rate of diagnostic error and low concordance score between clinical and autopsy diagnosis strongly suggests that, in spite of increased availability of modern diagnostic techniques, the necessity of postmortem studies to control the level of medical practice is evident.
Valdez-Martínez
E
E
Departamento de Investigación Médica, Centro de Especialidades Médicas del Estado de Veracruz Dr. Rafael Lucio (CEMEV), México.
Arroyo-Lunagómez
E
E
Landero-López
L
L
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001344:Autopsy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003933:Diagnosis; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D003951:Diagnostic Errors; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico; D008875:Middle Aged