[Reliability of data of death causes: comparison of premortem and verified by autopsy postmortem diagnoses].
OBJECTIVE
The goal of the investigation was to evaluate the accuracy of medical diagnostics of death causes.


METHODS
In the framework of population-based postmortem examination program the latest premortem and postmortem diagnoses of the underlying (principal disease), direct (lethal complication) and contributory (contributory pathology) causes of death of 1030 deceased and autopsied people of local randomized unit (Jonava district) autopsy study were compared.


RESULTS
The discrepancy between premortem and postmortem diagnoses was 35.3% in the category "circulatory system diseases", 26.5% in the category "malignant neoplasms", 41.1% in the category "lethal complications", and more than 50% in the category "contributory pathology".


CONCLUSIONS
The accuracy of data on underlying death cause is significantly limited due to overstating of circulatory system diseases, especially ischemic heart disease and understating of malignancies. Among mismatches in lethal complication cases more significant for outcome of disease were pneumonia and embolism of lung arteries, in contributory pathology--chronic bronchitis and ischemic heart disease.
Stalioraityte
Elena
E
Institute of Cardiology, Kaunas University of Medicine, Lithuania.
Pangonyte
Dalia
D
Neimantas
Remigijus
R
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001344:Autopsy; D029481:Bronchitis, Chronic / Q000473:pathology; D002423:Cause of Death; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D003951:Diagnostic Errors; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000473:pathology; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000473:pathology; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000473:pathology; D012214:Rheumatic Heart Disease / Q000473:pathology; D012737:Sex Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000473:pathology