Medical Death Certificates Research Articles

Debatable issues of coding chronic forms of ischemic heart disease as the primary cause of death

Aim: to examine the opinions of healthcare professionals on using codes from the ICD-10 group chronic ischemic heart disease (CIHD) (I25.0, I25.1, I25.8, I25.9) as the primary cause of death and discuss the results in the context of comparing with regional variability of standardized mortality ratio (SMR) from different forms of CIHD.Materials and methods. A one-stage study was conducted. This article describes the results of a survey of 366 medical workers (cardiologists, internists/general practitioners/family doctors, pathologists, public health and healthcare specialists, paramedics) from 47 subjects of the Russian Federation who fill out a medical death certificate (MDS) more often than 2–3 times a month. In addition, SMR from coronary heart disease were determined based on a brief nomenclature of causes of death of Rosstat in 82 regions of the Russian Federation for 2022.Results. 80.1 % of respondents expressed the opinion that I25.0, I25.1, I25.8, I25.9 are necessary for coding causes of death, but half of those surveyed do not see any differences in them. At the same time, respondents admit the possibility of using these CIHD codes as the primary cause of death without ante-mortem and pathological verification. The relatively small coefficient of variation of SMR overall from CIHD (34.19 per 100,000 population) is associated with high values from its individual forms: the coefficient of variation of average regional SMRs ranged from 62 % for code I25.1 to 174 % for code I25.0.Conclusions. The results of this study indicate a variable attitude of specialists filling out MSD towards choosing ICD-10 codes from the CIHD group, leading to significant interregional differences in CIHD mortality rates. It is necessary to develop unified recommendations describing situations in which codes from the CIHD group can be considered the primary (main) cause of death.

Estimation of tuberculosis mortality burden in spain: a review of the major data sources

IntroductionIn Spain, notifications of cases of tuberculosis (TB) are registered through the National Epidemiological Surveillance Network (RENAVE). The Minimum Basic Data Set (CMBD) provides information on hospital discharge and the Statistics National Institute (INE) draws on medical death certificates. This study aimed to describe TB mortality in Spain and to compare estimates across data sources, as well as with EU/EEA countries.Material and MethodsA retrospective study of TB data between 2008 −2021 was performed. Mortality rates (MR) were calculated for the three databases as well as fatality rates (CFR) for TB location and HIV status using RENAVE data. Time trends were calculated and the average MR and annual average percentage change for Spain were compared with EU/EEA countries.ResultsBetween 2008 and 2021, 4127 TB deaths were reported to RENAVE, 3877 to INE and 4775 to CMBD. The MR was 0.62 per 100,000 inhabitants for RENAVE, 0.59 for INE and 0.72 for CMBD. A statistically significant downward annual trend was observed. Highest MR across all databases were found in men and in those over 80 years old. CFR was higher for meningeal TB and for HIV patients with a risk ratio of 2.02 (95%CI: 1.82-2.2; p<0.05).ConclusionAlthough the TB MR in Spain has followed a downward annual trend, it is necessary to continue improving prevention, diagnosis and treatment. This will require comprehensive measurement, better knowledge and better use of all information to complement surveillance systems.

Comparison of causes of stillbirth and child deaths as determined by verbal autopsy and minimally invasive tissue sampling.

In resource-limited settings where vital registration and medical death certificates are unavailable or incomplete, verbal autopsy (VA) is often used to attribute causes of death (CoD) and prioritize resource allocation and interventions. We aimed to determine the CoD concordance between InterVA and CHAMPS's method. The causes of death (CoDs) of children <5 were determined by two methods using data from seven low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) enrolled in the Child Health and Mortality Prevention Surveillance (CHAMPS) network. The first CoD method was from the DeCoDe panel using data from Minimally Invasive Tissue Sampling (MITS), whereas the second method used Verbal Autopsy (VA), which utilizes the InterVA software. This analysis evaluated the agreement between the two using Lin's concordance correlation coefficient. The overall concordance of InterVA4 and DeCoDe in assigning causes of death across surveillance sites, age groups, and causes of death was poor (0.75 with 95% CI: 0.73-0.76) and lacked precision. We found substantial differences in agreement by surveillance site, with Mali showing the lowest and Mozambique and Ethiopia the highest concordance. The InterVA4 assigned CoD agrees poorly in assigning causes of death for U5s and stillbirths. Because VA methods are relatively easy to implement, such systems could be more useful if algorithms were improved to more accurately reflect causes of death, for example, by calibrating algorithms to information from programs that used detailed diagnostic testing to improve the accuracy of COD determination.

The analysis of age dynamics of causes of mortality of population of elderly age groups as reserve of maintaining population of older able-bodied age

The article analyzes age dynamics of initial causes of death according to records in medical death certificates of population of older age groups. Materials and methods. The records of causes of death of 34.914 persons aged 60 years and older were used as primary source of information. The initial cause of death was determined according to the ICD-10 rules. The rate of registration by reason of death was calculated as intensive value per 100 deaths in concrete age and sex group. Each cause was coded according to the ICD-10 rules (revision 2014-2016). The belonging to group was determined by first character (letter) in four-digit code that corresponded to the Class. On the basis of analysis of structure of causes of death, the group A of causes that included five Classes of ICD-10, determined 81.4% of all deaths in population aged 60 years and older. Two Classes: "Diseases of the circulatory system" (Class IX) and "Neoplasms" (Class II) determine in all studied age groups more than a half of all deaths (from 55% to 71% of males and from 59% to 67% in females) and namely they determine mortality rate in older age groups. There are no gender differences in age characteristics of registration rate in these groups (p > 0.05), however age dynamics differ. In case of diseases of circulatory system initial cause of death is increase rate of registration at increasing of age. In case of neoplasms at increasing of age decrease of registration rate as initial cause of death is established. At that, rate of decline is higher than rate of increase that determines certain decrease of structural significance of combined contribution of these two groups of causes at increasing of age. The Group B of causes, including three Classes of ICD-10 "Respiratory diseases" (Class X), "Diseases of the digestive system" (Class XI) and "Diseases of the nervous system" (Class VI), determined in overall 11.9% of all deaths in population aged 60 years and older. The age dynamics of causes of death of population of older age groups exists for certain groups of causes and it should be considered in organizing medical care of population of older age groups.

Causes of Death in Patients Asking for Polyclinic Care for Coronary Heart Disease.

Retrospective analysis of the underlying causes for death of patients who did and did not seek outpatient medical care (OPMC) for ischemic heart disease (IHD), and discussion of a possibility for using administrative anonymized but individualized databases for analysis. The electronic database of the Central Administration of the Civil Registry Office of the Moscow Region (Unified State Register of the Civil Registry Office of the Moscow Region), including medical death certificates (MDC) for 2021, was used to select all cases of fatal outcomes with the disease codes of the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) (codes of external causes, injuries, poisonings excluded) that were indicated as the primary cause of death (PCD). Personalized data of the deceased were combined with data from electronic medical records of patients who sought OPMC at institutions of the Moscow Region within up to 2 years before death. In addition to IHD, the following PCD codes were taken into account: malignant tumors, COVID-19, diabetes mellitus, cerebrovascular diseases, hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, alcohol-associated diseases, and, as examples of unspecified PCD, old age and unspecified encephalopathy.Results In total, among those who died from diseases, the proportion of those who died from IHD was 18.9%; for another 8.4%, IHD was indicated as a comorbid disease in Part II of the MDC. Among those who sought OPMC for IHD, the IHD proportion indicated as PCD was 27.5%, and among those who did not seek OPMC 17.4% (p &lt;0.0001). Those who died from IHD and who had sought OPMC were older (mean age, 75.59 ± 10.94 years) than those who died from IHD and had not sought OMPM (mean age, 73.96 ± 10.94 years; p &lt; 0.0001). The frequency of myocardial infarction as PCD among those who had and had not sought OPMC was the same (12%), chronic forms of IHD were 83.9% and 79.7%, the frequencies of "unspecified" acute forms of IHD (codes I24.8-9) were 4.1% and 8.3%, respectively. The proportion of deaths from COVID-19 was the highest (21.7% and 24.3%, respectively), from malignant neoplasms 11.6% and 12.7%, respectively, and from unspecified encephalopathy 10.6% and 10.7%, respectively. Only 25% of patients who had sought OPMC for IHD died from IHD, otherwise the causes of death were the same as for patients who had not sought OPMC for IHD. Analysis of administrative databases allows identifying disparities in the PCD structure and to direct the efforts of specialists to reconciling the criteria for death from various forms of IHD.

Fatal Nitrites Poisoning in the Medical Setting Filed as Alleged Medical Negligence or Malpractice and the Role of Death Investigation: A Case Report

This study presents a case of a patient who experienced sudden death due to fatal nitrite poisoning in the medical setting. It also highlights the pivotal role of postmortem examination in enhancing quality assurance in clinical medicine, as well as in providing resolutions for medicolegal disputes to all pertinent stakeholders, regarding the patient’s death. The patient was found dead during admission after orthopedic surgery. The death certificate was issued by the clinician attributing the cause of death to respiratory failure due to pulmonary embolism. This medical certification of death instigated medicolegal disputes, resulting in allegations of medical negligence or malpractice. Subsequently, a death investigation was initiated, and a postmortem examination confirmed nitrite poisoning as the cause of death. This medical evidence obtained from the autopsy could provide clarity in resolving medicolegal disputes surrounding the patient’s unexpected death in a medical setting. Moreover, a comprehensive review of all information obtained through a death investigation could offer valuable insights even for clinicians, as well as for patient’s family and other stakeholders. This includes guidance on certifying the cause of death based on varying levels of medical evidence and implementing preventive measures to enhance patient safety and mitigate the occurrence of unexpected death in the medical setting.

Chronic coronary artery disease: aspects of recording and coding in clinical practice (results of a survey of physicians)

Aim. To study the opinion of doctors about the applicability, frequency and criteria for practical use of codes of the International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision (ICD-10) from the group of chronic coronary artery disease (CAD) — I25.0, I25.1, I25.8, I25.9.Material and methods. This cross-sectional study was conducted in the period from February 27, 2024 to March 11, 2024 on a continuous sample of medical workers who agreed to participate in an anonymous survey as respondents. The questionnaire consisted of an introductory, personal and main part, which consisted of 19 questions devoted to various aspects of chronic CAD coding at the doctor’s appointment and during preparing medical death certificate. This article presents the results of a survey of cardiologists (group 1) and internists/general practitioners/family physicians (group 2). The χ2 test was used to compare two groups. The Friedman test was used to test the hypothesis that the physicians' opinion about the use of different chronic CAD codes was random. The Kendall test was used to assess the agreement between physicians. Calculations were carried out using Microsoft Office Excel 2021 and SPSS-26.0.Results. A total of 883 doctors from 47 constituent entities of the Russian Federation took part in the survey. Half of the respondents believed that there are differences between the codes I25.0, I25.1, I25.8, I25.9 and that they are necessary for statistical recording. Although cardiologists (59,2%) were less likely than internists/general practitioners/family doctors (65,9%) to believe that one or more of the 4 codes analyzed could be used only on the basis of risk factors, differences did not reach significance (p=0,1). The need to confirm chronic CAD using paraclinical research methods varied from 57,3% for code I25.9 to 83,1% for code I25.1. In case of death of a patient from chronic CAD, almost a third of respondents do not see the differences between the 4 specified codes, but are ready to use them in different clinical setting. In addition, 14,6% responded that when filling out medical death certificates they would not use any of the 4 specified codes. There is no agreement among physicians regarding the use of codes in clinical practice (Kendall's coefficient of concordance 0,084; p&lt;0,001) and as a cause of death (0,148; p&lt;0,001).Conclusion. There is no unified stance among doctors on the rules and applicability of using at least 4 codes (I25.0, I25.1, I25.8, I25.9). To correctly assess morbidity and mortality rates from individual forms of chronic ACAD based on ICD-10 codes, guidelines that should include a description and consideration of all the most significant clinical scenarios of chronic CAD should be developed.

Respiratory-related deaths and associated factors in Alicho-Weriro district, southern Ethiopia: verbal autopsy data analysis

BackgroundRespiratory diseases disproportionately affect people living in resource-limited settings. However, obtaining information that explains respiratory-related deaths has been difficult, mainly due to a lack of medical certification of death and...

Corpse or not? Two peculiar cases of misidentification.

Irrespective of whether they are intended for collectors or for the fetish market, dolls are being produced to look more and more realistic with such a degree of life-like detail that they can be mistaken for a real person. This paper reports two cases of misidentification due to this increasing similarity: In the first case, a sex doll was mistaken for a corpse; in the second case, a corpse was mistaken for a doll. While in the latter case, only medical laypersons were at the discovery site, in the first case, an emergency doctor had issued a medical certificate of death for the purported corpse. The medicolegal examiner who was subsequently called to the scene could still rectify the misconception on-site. Mistakes of this nature are likely rare phenomena. It, however, remains to be seen if the increasingly life-like appearance of dolls on the one hand, and the increasingly doll-like appearance of some people, e.g., through cosmetic surgery, will lead to a rise in such cases. To avoid misidentification as in the first reported case, it is essential to prepare medical students well for the task of performing a primary external postmortem examination; it is equally important that fully-trained doctors regularly refresh their expertise in this respect.

Trends in mortality related to venous thromboembolism in the European Union, 2012-2020.

We sought to assess the sex- and age-specific trends in venous thromboembolism (VTE) mortality in the 27 European Union Member States (EU-27) between years 2012 and 2020. Data on cause-specific deaths and population numbers by sex for each country of the EU-27 were retrieved through the publicly available European Statistical Office (EUROSTAT) dataset for the years 2012-2020. VTE-related deaths were ascertained when ICD-10 codes I26, I80, and I82.9 were listed as the primary cause of death in the medical death certificate. To calculate annual trends, we assessed the average annual percent change (AAPC) with relative 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using Joinpoint regression. During the study period, 96,037 (55,278 males and 40,759 females) died for VTE. The age-adjusted mortality rate (AAMR) linearly declined from 2.86 (95% CI 2.84-2.90) deaths per 100,000 individuals in 2012 to 2.53 (95% CI 2.50-2.56) deaths per 100,000 population in 2020 [AAPC: - 2.1% (95% CI - 3.6 to - 0.6), p = 0.001] without differences between sexes (p = 0.60). The higher AAMR was observed in some eastern European countries such as Bulgaria, Czech Republic, and Lithuania. On the contrary, the lower AAMR was mainly clustered in the Mediterranean area (Italy, Spain, and Cyprus). Over the last decade, the age-adjusted VTE-related mortality has been continuously declining in most of the in EU-27 Member States. However, some disparities still exist between western and eastern European countries.

Variability in Alzheimer's disease mortality from European vital statistics, 2012-2020.

Data regarding the trends in Alzheimer's disease (AD) mortality in the modern European Union (EU-27) member states are lacking. We assess the sex- and age-specific trends in AD mortality in the EU-27 member states between years 2012 and 2020. Data on cause-specific deaths and population numbers by sex for each country of the EU-27 were retrieved through publicly available European Statistical Office (EUROSTAT) dataset from 2012 to 2020. AD-related deaths were ascertained when the ICD-10 code G30 was listed as the primary cause of death in the medical death certificate. To calculate annual trends, we assessed the average annual percent change (AAPC) with relative 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using Joinpoint regression. During the study period, 751,493 deaths (1.7%, 233,271 males and 518,222 females) occurred in the EU-27 because of AD. Trends in the proportion of AD-related deaths per 1000 total deaths slightly increased from 16.8% to 17.5% (p for trend <0.001). The age-adjusted mortality rate was higher in women over the entire study period. Joinpoint regression analysis revealed a stagnation in age-adjusted AD-related mortality from 2012 to 2020 among EU-27 Member States (AAMR: -0.1% [95% CI: -1.8-1.79], p=0.94). Stratification by Country showed relevant regional disparities, especially in the Northern and Eastern EU-27 member states. Over the last decade, the age-adjusted AD-related mortality rate has plateaued in EU-27. Important disparities still exist between Western and Eastern European countries.

The Global Burden of Alcohol-associated Cirrhosis and Cancer in Young and Middle-aged Adults

Alcohol is a substance that impacts premature mortality and morbidity.1 The liver is invariably subjected to the impact of alcohol, which can result in cirrhosis and cancer. Alcohol also has detrimental effects that extend beyond the liver. While traditionally associated with advanced age, emerging data reported a rising burden of cancers and alcohol-associated liver disease in the young.1-3 Thus, the primary objective was to evaluate the trend of alcohol-associated cirrhosis and cancer in young and middle-aged adults (aged 15-49) utilizing the Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD) 2019.4 We chose the age group less than 50 years old based on the definition of early-onset cancer and the inherent selection of the age group in the GBD database.4-6 The detailed methods are provided in the Supplementary Appendix. Briefly, data were sourced from population-based cancer registries, vital registration systems, or verbal autopsy studies. Verbal autopsy is a well-established approach for monitoring health, providing valuable information on mortality patterns and the reasons behind deaths in areas lacking robust medical death certification processes. The researchers employed the Cause of Death Ensemble model to estimate the burden linked to cancer and cirrhosis associated with alcohol use.

Trends in atrial fibrillation-related mortality in Europe, 2008-2019.

Update data regarding the atrial fibrillation (AF)-related mortality trend in Europe remain scant. We assess the age- and sex-specific trends in AF-related mortality in the European states between the years 2008 and 2019. Data on cause-specific deaths and population numbers by sex for European countries were retrieved through the publicly available World Health Organization mortality dataset for the years 2008-2019. Atrial fibrillation-related deaths were ascertained when the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision code I48 was listed as the underlying cause of death in the medical death certificate. To calculate annual trends, we assessed the average annual % change (AAPC) with relative 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using Joinpoint regression. During the study period, 773 750 AF-related deaths (202 552 males and 571 198 females) occurred in Europe. The age-adjusted mortality rate (AAMR) linearly increased from 12.3 (95% CI: 11.2-12.9) per 100 000 population in 2008 to 15.3 (95% CI: 14.7-15.7) per 100 000 population in 2019 [AAPC: +2.0% (95% CI: 1.6-3.5), P<0.001] with a more pronounced increase among men [AAPC: +2.7% (95% CI: 1.9-3.5), P<0.001] compared with women [AAPC: +1.7% (95% CI: 1.1-2.3), P<0.001] (P for parallelism 0.01). Higher AAMR increases were observed in some Eastern European countries such as Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland, while the lower increases were mainly clustered in Central Europe. Over the last decade, the age-adjusted AF-related mortality has increased in Europe, especially among males. Disparities still exist between Western and Eastern European countries.

Book by V.A. Klevno, V.V. Frolov and I.A. Frolova “Forensic medical assessment of traumatic brain injury” as an addition to the textbook on forensic medicine: Review

This review contains an overview of the textbook “Forensic medical assessment of traumatic brain injury” published in “Practical Medicine” by V.A. Klevno, V.V. Frolova, and I.A. Frolova. The review emphasized the importance of the peer-reviewed publication for modern medicine and content of the main sections devoted to the epidemiology of traumatic brain injury, revealed the main mechanisms of traumatic effects for causing traumatic brain injury and brain damage both with well-studied impression, compression, inertial trauma, and with impulse action, and emphasized the importance of defining the concept of traumatic brain injury, disclosure, and systematization of the concept of “damaging factors.” set out in the first five sections. The review also noted the importance of practical forensic experts’ knowledge of traumatic isolated subdural hematoma and chronic subdural hematoma, including the pathogenesis of its development and macroscopic signs in Sections 6 and 7 of the textbook. The review also evaluated the important role of practical recommendations on the rules for the collection and referral of biological materials for forensic histological examination, examples of the design of a forensic medical diagnosis, a medical death certificate, and conclusions for various types of traumatic brain injury. A detailed list of literary sources is provided, which presents the names of the most authoritative experts on the problem under consideration, as well as a glossary that is important for the unification and uniform understanding of the terms and concepts used. The review emphasizes the high quality of the book’s design, convenience for readers of the chosen publication format, and rich color schemes and illustrations. The analysis shows that the reviewed textbook contains the main information on traumatic brain injury and intracranial hemorrhages to date, which gives readers a full understanding of this problem, interests them with the need to understand complex and controversial issues and study the works referred to by the authors, which will undoubtedly improve the understanding of the complex mechanisms of various types of traumatic brain injury and the quality conducted forensic medical examinations. The textbook is extremely relevant, modern, and designed at a high level and contains comprehensive information for the training processes and use in the work of most medical specialists. The review concluded with a statement of hope that Vladimir Alexandrovic et al. will not stop there and will release a full-fledged manual on the forensic diagnosis of traumatic brain injury, with a more detailed classification and content that meets modern scientific and practical needs.

Diseases of the nervous system as the underlying cause of death

To identify the leading causes of death in the adult population from the class of diseases of the nervous system (DNS, class G) according to medical death certificates (MDC) and to discuss the problems of their assessment. The source of information was the electronic database of the Main Department of the Civil Registry Office of the Moscow Region. All cases of class G deaths were selected (total 10.739), an analysis was carried out according to underlying cause of death (UCD) codes and the immediate cause of death. In 2022, mortality from diseases included in the DNS amounted to 130.7 per 100 000 of the population over 18 years old (100.3 among men, 191.0 among women). The average age of men is 74.3±14.1, women - 83.5±9.9 years (p<0.0001) due to the younger age of death of men from «G31.2 Degeneration of the nervous system caused by alcohol» and a higher contribution of this cause to male mortality; 82.5% of deaths were for codes G90-G99 («Other disorders of the nervous system»); 15.5% were neurodegenerative diseases (G10-G32). Sixty-six percent of all UCD in both women and men accounted for «unspecified encephalopathy» (G93.4), in 2nd place (10.5%) was «cerebral cyst» (G93.0). In 45 cases, code G93.6 (cerebral edema) was mistakenly used as UCD. Differences in the structure of causes of death at home, in hospital and elsewhere are statistically significant (p<0.00001). In 58.3%, cerebral edema and herniation were indicated as the immediate cause of death (G93.6 and G93.5). Nosologically unfounded, insufficiently well-defined UCD were established in most cases of death from DNS, In 0.5% of the total number of deaths from DNS, an erroneous presentation as UCD of transient disorders of cerebral circulation or cerebral edema was noted. The results indicate the need for an analysis of the causes of death based on a comparison of medical records and MDC.

Problems of assessment and analysis of mortality rates in the context of the rules of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, Tenth Revision (ICD-10)

Purpose of the study: to study changes in the structure of causes of death among those who died aged 18 years and older according to medical death certificates (MDC) and to discuss the problems of assessing the contribution of certain groups of diseases and conditions to the mortality of the population. Materials and methods. The source of information was the electronic database of the Main Directorate of the Civil Registry Office (USR registry office of the Moscow Region) of the MSS for those who died at the age of 18 and older for 2019, 2021 and 2022. one of the subjects of the Russian Federation. Results: All 3 years 99 % of deaths occur in 12 classes of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, Tenth Revision (ICD-10); 3 classes (diseases of the circulatory system – DCS, nervous system – DNS and neoplasms) accounted for 70 % of deaths in 2019, 58 % in 2021 and 62 % in 2022 (the share decreased due to COVID-19). The share of DCS was 40 %, 32 % and 37.7 %; neoplasms – 15.3 % 10.9 % and 13.5 %. The greatest decrease in mortality was noted in the class of mental and behavioural disorders (MBD; 8 times: 58.4 in 2019 and 7.4 per 100 thousand in 2022). The proportion of male deaths over all 3 years was higher in the classes of injury and poisoning (IP), infectious diseases (ID), diseases of the respiratory system (DRS) and digestive system diseases (DDS). The highest age of the deceased was registered according to the classes of DNS and diseases of the genitourinary system (DGS); the youngest age in ID and IP classes. For all 3 years, more than 60 % of deaths in a hospital are registered in the classes of ID and DDS, and in 2021 and 2022 from COVID-19. Deaths at home predominate in the class of DNS and ill-defined conditions (class R). For individual codes in the classes of DCS, DNS, MBD, DGS, representing non-prohibited but unspecified causes of death, significant changes (hundreds and thousands of cases) were revealed in dynamics, which is probably due to a change in approaches to coding primary cause of death and affects the structure of mortality by classes and individual reasons. Conclusions. Significant annual changes in the number of deaths from individual causes, differences in demographic characteristics by ICD classes require clarification of the criteria for using individual 4-digit codes and subsequent analysis of mortality for clinically related groups of diseases.

Forty-year trends in fatal occupational injuries in North Carolina.

We describe progress in the control of deaths on-the-job due to fatal occupational injury in North Carolina over the period 1978-2017. Forty years of information on fatal occupational injuries in North Carolina has been assembled from medical examiners' reports and death certificates, supplemented by newspaper and police reports. Cases were defined as unintentional fatal occupational injuries among adults. Annual estimates of the population at risk were derived from US Census data, and rates were quantified using Poisson regression methods. There were 4434 eligible deaths. The unintentional fatal occupational injury rate at the beginning of the study period was more than threefold the rate at the end of the study. The fatal occupational injury rate among men declined from 9.6 per 100,000 worker-years in the period 1978-1982 to 3.1 per 100,000 worker-years in the period 2013-2017. The fatal occupational injury rate among women declined from 0.3 per 100,000 worker-years in the period 1978-1981 to 0.1 per 100,000 worker-years in the period 2013-2017. Declines in rates were observed for young adults as well as older workers and were observed across all major industry categories. Average annual declines in rates were greatest in those industries and occupations that had the highest fatal injury rates at the start of the study period. The substantial decline in fatal injury rates underscores the importance of injury prevention and demonstrates the ability to make meaningful reductions in unintentional fatal injury.

Abstract 13478: Causes of Long-Term Mortality in Patients With Microvascular Obstruction Following ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction

Introduction: The presence of microvascular obstruction (MVO) following ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) portends a poor prognosis and is associated with adverse left-ventricular (LV) remodeling and an increase in mortality in the subsequent year of follow-up. However, the long-term effects of MVO on mortality have not been previously described. Methods: We analyzed the long-term follow-up and cardiac MRIs of 475 patients (Average age = 60 years, 76% male) for the presence (n=337) or absence (n=138) of MVO at a single institution following STEMI and successful reperfusion with primary percutaneous intervention (PCI). Causes of death were determined from the patient's electronic medical record or death certificate. Results: The infarct-related artery was more likely to be the LAD in patients with MVO and the RCA in patients without MVO. Patients with MVO had greater ischemic times (159 vs. 141 mins; p = 0.012) and were more likely to have TIMI 0 flow on presentation (71 vs 54%; p &lt;0.002). Patients with MVO had greater infarct size by cardiac enzymes resulting in greater LV end-diastolic volume index (LVEDVI) (80 vs.75 ml/m2), LV end-systolic volume index (LVESVI) (39 vs 30 ml/m2) and LV mass (146 vs 134 g) and reduced LVEF (48 vs 58 %; all p &lt; 0.01) by cardiac MRI performed 1-3 days following STEMI and PCI . During long-term follow-up a total of 56 patients with MVO died compared to 18 patients without MVO. Patients with MVO died sooner after STEMI (5.9 vs 7.8 years) and were more likely to die from cardiovascular causes such as progressive heart failure or sudden cardiac death (Table). LVEF before death was lower in the MVO group (46 vs 52%). Conclusions: There is significant long-term mortality associated with MVO following STEMI with the majority of patients dying from cardiovascular causes. In contrast, patients with STEMI without MVO rarely died from a cardiac etiology but from cancer and natural causes.

Evaluation of methods for assigning causes of death from verbal autopsies in India.

Physician-coded verbal autopsy (PCVA) is the most widely used method to determine causes of death (COD) in countries where medical certification of death is low. Computer-coded verbal autopsy (CCVA), an alternative method to PCVA for assigning the COD is considered to be efficient and cost-effective. However, the performance of CCVA as compared to PCVA is yet to be established in the Indian context. We evaluated the performance of PCVA and three CCVA methods i.e., InterVA 5, InSilico, and Tariff 2.0 on verbal autopsies done using the WHO 2016 VA tool on 2,120 reference standard cases developed from five tertiary care hospitals of Delhi. PCVA methodology involved dual independent review with adjudication, where required. Metrics to assess performance were Cause Specific Mortality Fraction (CSMF), sensitivity, positive predictive value (PPV), CSMF Accuracy, and Kappa statistic. In terms of the measures of the overall performance of COD assignment methods, for CSMF Accuracy, the PCVA method achieved the highest score of 0.79, followed by 0.67 for Tariff_2.0, 0.66 for Inter-VA and 0.62 for InSilicoVA. The PCVA method also achieved the highest agreement (57%) and Kappa scores (0.54). The PCVA method showed the highest sensitivity for 15 out of 20 causes of death. Our study found that the PCVA method had the best performance out of all the four COD assignment methods that were tested in our study sample. In order to improve the performance of CCVA methods, multicentric studies with larger sample sizes need to be conducted using the WHO VA tool.

Trends in acute myocardial infarction mortality in the European Union, 2012-2020.

To assess the sex- and age-specific trends in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) mortality in the modern European Union (EU-27) member states between years 2012 and 2020. Data on cause-specific deaths and population numbers by sex for each country of the EU-27 were retrieved through a publicly available European Statistical Office (EUROSTAT) dataset for the years 2012 to 2020. AMI-related deaths were ascertained when codes for AMI (ICD-10 codes I21.0-I22.0) were listed as the underlying cause of death in the medical death certificate. Deaths occurring before the age of 65 years were defined as premature deaths. To calculate annual trends, we assessed the average annual percent change (AAPC) with relative 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using joinpoint regression. During the study period, 1 793 314 deaths (1 048 044 males and 745 270 females) occurred in the EU-27 due to of AMI. The proportion of AMI-related deaths per 1000 total deaths decline from 5.0% to 3.5% both in the entire population (P for trend < 0.001) and in males or females, separately. Joinpoint regression analysis revealed a continuous linear decrease in age-adjusted AMI-related mortality from 2012 to 2020 among EU-27 members [AAPC: -4.6% (95% CI: -5.1 to -4.0), P < 0.001]. The age-adjusted mortality rate showed a plateau in some Eastern European countries and was more pronounced in EU-27 females and in subjects aged ≥65 years. Over the last decade, the age-adjusted AMI-related mortality has been continuously declining in most of the in EU-27 member states. However, some disparities still exist between western and eastern European countries.