title: The effectiveness of postmortem multidetector computed tomography in the detection of fatal findings related to cause of non-traumatic death in the emergency department.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the diagnostic performance of postmortem multidetector computed tomography (PMMDCT) for the detection of fatal findings related to causes of non-traumatic death in the emergency department (ED).
  
  
  METHODS
  494 consecutive cases of clinically diagnosed non-traumatic death in ED involving PMMDCT were enrolled. The fatal findings were detected on PMMDCT and classified as definite or possible findings. These findings were confirmed by autopsy in 20 cases.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The fatal findings were detected in 188 subjects (38.1%) including 122 with definite (24.7%) and 66 with possible finding (13.4%). Definite findings included 21 cases of intracranial vascular lesions, 84 with intra-thoracic haemorrhage, 13 with retroperitoneal haemorrhage and one with oesophagogastric haemorrhage. In three patients who had initially been diagnosed with non-traumatic death, PMMDCT revealed fatal traumatic findings. Two definite findings (two haemopericardiums) and seven possible findings (two intestinal obstructions, one each of multiple liver tumours central pulmonary artery dilatation, pulmonary congestion, peritoneal haematoma, and brain oedema) were confirmed by autopsy. The causes of death were not determined in cases with possible findings without autopsy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PMMDCT is a feasible tool for detecting morphological fatal findings in non-traumatic death in ED. It is important to know the ability and limitation of PMMDCT.
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Niigata City General Hospital, 463-7 Shumoku, Chuo-ku, Niigata, Niigata 950-1197, Japan. nandtr@gmail.com
authors.forename: Naoya
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Higuchi
authors.forename: Motoi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shiotani
authors.forename: Yasuo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hirose
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shibuya
authors.forename: Haruo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yamanouchi
authors.forename: Hideki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hashidate
authors.forename: Kazuhisa
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Funayama
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001344:Autopsy; D002423:Cause of Death; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003644:Death Certificates; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards / Q000639:trends; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D049429:Forensic Pathology / Q000379:methods; D006323:Heart Arrest / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000401:mortality; D006470:Hemorrhage / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000401:mortality; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D020765:Intracranial Arterial Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D061330:Multidetector Computed Tomography; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult