Citation

Gemechu T, Tinsae M, Ashenafi S, Rodriguez VM, Lori A, Collins M, Hurford R, Haimanot R, Sandoval M, Mehari E, Langford TD. Pathol. Res. Pract. 2009; 205(9): 608-614.

Affiliation

Addis Ababa University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pathology, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2009, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.prp.2009.02.007

PMID

19321271

PMCID

PMC2720414

Abstract

In Ethiopia, like many developing countries, autopsy is rare unless conducted in the medico-legal arena, making vital statistics that include pathological diagnoses sparse. To determine the most common factors contributing to death among individuals who died from natural or injury-related events in Ethiopia 200 consecutive autopsies were conducted in 2006 at the Forensic Medico-legal Pathology Department, Menelik II Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The results describe significant pathological observations, putative cause of death, age distribution, and gender ratios. Eighty-one percent of the cases were male, and the mean age was 38.9 (+/-15.5 years). Fifty-two percent of the individuals died from natural causes, including infections, and 48% died from injury-related events. In the natural deaths group, as determined by gross examination at autopsy pulmonary complications were the most commonly reported cause of death, with suspected tuberculosis accounting for 12%. Tuberculosis (21, 8%) and liver disease (14, 5%) were the most common histopathological findings in the natural and injury-related causes groups, respectively. In the injury-related group, automobile accident was the most common cause of accidental death (80%), and homicide by beating was the most common cause of death in the intentional injury group (31%). These data provide valuable unbiased analyses of causes of death among individuals in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Language: en