title: Most common causes of natural and injury-related deaths in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
abstract: In Ethiopia, like many developing countries, autopsy is rare unless conducted in the medico-legal arena, making vital statistics that include pathological diagnoses sparse. To determine the most common factors contributing to death among individuals who died from natural or injury-related events in Ethiopia 200 consecutive autopsies were conducted in 2006 at the Forensic Medico-legal Pathology Department, Menelik II Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The results describe significant pathological observations, putative cause of death, age distribution, and gender ratios. Eighty-one percent of the cases were male, and the mean age was 38.9 (+/-15.5 years). Fifty-two percent of the individuals died from natural causes, including infections, and 48% died from injury-related events. In the natural deaths group, as determined by gross examination at autopsy pulmonary complications were the most commonly reported cause of death, with suspected tuberculosis accounting for 12%. Tuberculosis (21, 8%) and liver disease (14, 5%) were the most common histopathological findings in the natural and injury-related causes groups, respectively. In the injury-related group, automobile accident was the most common cause of accidental death (80%), and homicide by beating was the most common cause of death in the intentional injury group (31%). These data provide valuable unbiased analyses of causes of death among individuals in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
authors.affiliation: Addis Ababa University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pathology, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Tufa
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authors.lastname: Gemechu
authors.forename: Mihrete
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authors.forename: Senait
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authors.lastname: Ashenafi
authors.forename: Victor Manuel
authors.initials: VM
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authors.forename: Alfredo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lori
authors.forename: Michelle
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authors.lastname: Collins
authors.forename: Rosemary
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authors.forename: Rahel
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authors.forename: Melissa
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authors.forename: Enawgaw
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authors.lastname: Mehari
authors.forename: T Dianne
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Langford