Epidemiological Profile of In-Hospital Deaths in a Tertiary Health Care Centre: A 3-Year Retrospective Study in Western Maharashtra

Abstract

ABSTRACT Aim The knowledge of specific contributors to mortality is crucial for the improvement of health of the community. Globally, medical certificate of cause of death is used for gathering epidemiological statistics. Our study examines the mortality pattern with sociodemographic characteristics of in-hospital deaths, which occurred at a tertiary health care center in Maharashtra. Materials and methods This study is a descriptive retrospective study in which 1,000 medical certification of cause of death forms (n = 1000) filled at a tertiary care hospital between Aug 2016 and Aug 2019 were analyzed. Results Total 64.5% of cases were males and 35.5% were females. About 42% were elderly (60–80 years). About 23% of the deaths were due to “diseases of the circulatory system.” The highest number of cases died within the first 10 days of admission. The “diseases of circulatory system” was the commonest group causing deaths in “brief” hospital stay ((<10 days), “diseases of digestive system” in “short” (10 days–1 month), “neoplasia” in “long” (1–3 months), and “diseases of nervous system” in “prolong” hospital stay (>3 months). Conclusion The mortality rate among males was more than twice of females and maximum deaths were observed in the geriatric age group. The chief causes of mortality overall and among both males and females individually were the diseases of the circulatory system among which, the cerebrovascular diseases accounted for highest number of cases. Overall demographic data were comparable to observations from various national and international studies. Clinical significance Cause-specific mortality statistics are routinely required by policy makers, researchers, and other professionals for decision-making for resource allocation, monitoring of health indicators, and identifying priorities for health initiatives. Availability of data remains limited and inadequate in many countries. Studies on in-hospital deaths are needed to identify mortality indicators in different regions and channel public health initiatives in the right direction. How to cite this article Chourasia S, Dhaka S, Rautji R, et al. Epidemiological Profile of In-Hospital Deaths in a Tertiary Health Care Centre: A 3-Year Retrospective Study in Western Maharashtra. J Med Acad 2020;3(2):38–42.