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Abstract
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Background:: The leading causes of mortality are very important parameters for the individual and society bases. It reflects the medical problems that need to be studied in order to organize future plan and strategy of the Health services by identifying the risk factors, precipitating causes and methods of prevention.
Objectives: Analysis of hospital mortality helps to assess the standards of health-care delivery. Subjects and Methods:: This is a retrospective study evaluating the causes of deaths which occurred during the years 1997-2006 in Alwahda hospital, Derna, Libya. The leading causes of deaths were classified according to the nature of the disease and organ involvement. The causes of death were classified according to the International Statistical Classification of Diseases (ICD-IO). Results:: A total number of 1705 patients in Derna who died from 1997 to 2006 have been studied. The most common contributors of non-neoplasmatic causes of death were cardiovascular diseases (120-125) represented 36.1 % (615) of all deaths, followed by stroke and CVD (160-169) by 18.2 % (311) while injury accidents (VO 1- Y98), cancer (COO-D48), renal diseases (N17-N19) and chest infections (110-118) represented 7.9% (133), 7.7% (132), 7.2% (120) and 6.1 % (105), respectively. Not written or found dead represented 5.9% (100) of all deaths. Males constituted 55.3% (942) and females 44.7% (763). The median age was 75.1 years (1 day - 100 years). The six most common ICD-10 chapters IX, II, IV, XI, XX, X, XIV included 87.8% of the total 1705 deaths. Diseases of the digestive system (KOOK93) were at 4.6% (54), diabetes mellitus, DKA (E10-E14) at 1.2% (21), and congenital and perinatal causes at 1.2% (20). Neoplasms caused 7.7% of the total 1705 deaths, with leading forms being the malignant neoplasm of OIT (C18-21.2) at 40.2%, lung (C34) 14.9%, breast 9.3%, renal 4.7%, prostate (C61) 3.5%, urinary bladder 2.3% and thyroid 1.2%. Conclusions:: Disease specific characteristics, as well as functional and infrastructural inadequacies were identified and provided evidence for defining priorities and strategies for improving the standards of care. Effective transformation can promise better prospects. |