Population based mortality and quality of death certification in progressive supranuclear palsy (Steele-Richardson-Olszewski syndrome).
OBJECTIVE
To estimate the mortality of progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and to assess the quality of death certification in patients with PSP who died in England and Wales.


METHODS
An analysis was conducted of ICD-9 (International Classification of Diseases, version 9) coded deaths obtained through the Office of National Statistics over an eight year period.


RESULTS
The crude annual mortality rate was 1.77 (95% confidence interval, 1.64 to 1.90) cases per million, using the mid-1996 population estimate for England and Wales. Annual mortality increased over time, possibly as a result of increased incidence or increased awareness of the disorder. Forty nine death certificates from deceased patients previously diagnosed clinically showed that the commonest proximate cause of death was pneumonia, occurring in 45% of cases (22/49). The underlying cause of death was cited as pneumonia in 14% of cases (7/49). PSP was mentioned in only 65% of death certificates (32/49). Eight of the 49 cases (16%) underwent necropsy and results were available for five of these cases. PSP was confirmed pathologically in four; the remaining case was diagnosed as Parkinson's disease.


CONCLUSIONS
Further research is needed to establish the reasons for the observed increase in mortality. Determining the population mortality rate for PSP using the ICD-9 coding system is problematic but is likely to improve following the introduction of ICD-10 updated codes and coding rules.
Nath
U
U
Regional Neurosciences Centre, Newcastle General Hospital, Westgate Road, Newcastle upon Tyne NE4 6BE, UK.
Thomson
R
R
Wood
R
R
Ben-Shlomo
Y
Y
Lees
A
A
Rooney
C
C
Burn
D
D
D001344:Autopsy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D003644:Death Certificates; D003951:Diagnostic Errors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004282:Documentation / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D038801:International Classification of Diseases / Q000592:standards; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods*; D013494:Supranuclear Palsy, Progressive / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality*; D014852:Wales / Q000453:epidemiology