title: Clinical and autopsy correlation evaluated in a university hospital in Spain (1991-2000).
abstract: The authors present a 10-year retrospective study (1991-2000) of all autopsies performed at the Hospital Clinic, Barcelona (Catalonia, Spain) studied by a multidisciplinary committee. The clinicopathologic correlation of the primary underlying disease with the immediate cause of death was reviewed. Between 1991 and 2000, 2,495 autopsies were performed, 1933 of which were evaluated by the committee. The autopsy rate fell from 20% in 1993 to 9.1% in 2000. The clinicopathologic correlation in underlying primary disease was correct in 92.67% of the cases; there was a major discrepancy in 3.51% and a minor discrepancy in 3.82%. As regards the immediate cause of death, major errors were found in 5.89% of cases and minor errors in 6.17%. Despite the scientific and technologic advances in medicine, we have seen that there are still clinicopathologic discrepancies. The postmortem examination continues to play an important role in auditing clinical practice and diagnostic performance, and also for educational purposes. Evaluation by a multidisciplinary committee is the more reliable system for the study of the clinicopathologic correlation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona Medical School, Barcelona, Spain. bombi@medicina.ub.es
authors.forename: Josep Antoni
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Bombí
authors.forename: Josep
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ramírez
authors.forename: Manel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Solé
authors.forename: Josep Maria
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Grau
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Chabas
authors.forename: Emiliano
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Astudillo
authors.forename: José Maria
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Nicolás
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Balasch
mesh_terms: D001344:Autopsy; D002423:Cause of Death; D003951:Diagnostic Errors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013030:Spain