González FMV, Barboza QO, Áncer RJ, Ponce CMA, Ceceñas FLÁ

Language: Spanish
References: 15
Page: 238-242
PDF size: 282.41 Kb.

ABSTRACT

Background: The autopsy is a study of great importance. It is invaluable for medical education and a source for true statistics on morbidity and mortality, not to mention the feedback during clinical-pathological sessions.
Material and methods: We reviewed the protocols of all autopsies performed at Dr. José Eleuterio González University Hospital from 2004 to 2008, and classified them according to their main clinical diagnoses, cause of death, age, sex and the hospital department requesting the study. These findings were compared with two similar studies previously conducted at our hospital.
Results: A total of 315 autopsies were performed, corresponding to 6.7% of all intrahospitalary deaths. Of these, 55% were performed in adults and 45% in children; 55% were female and 45% male. The most common clinical diagnoses in order of frequency were: pneumonia, sepsis, congenital malformations and neoplasias.
Conclusions: When comparing the main autopsy diagnosis, it is interesting to point out that in the last 50 years the diagnosis of pneumonia and neoplasias remain among the most frequent, while diseases such as amoebiasis and complicated syphilitic endocarditis are far less common. We believe that the autopsy should be a compulsory procedure, particularly in health institutions with medical education. It is essential to increase the number of autopsies to get a true reflection of the medical practice and maintain a database with reliable medical information.

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