Citation

Cummings P. Am. J. Emerg. Med. 1990; 8(5): 379-384.

Affiliation

Department of Emergency Medicine, Kaweah Delta District Hospital, Visalia, CA 93291.

Comment In:

Am J Emerg Med 1991;9(4):398-9.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1990, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

2206142

Abstract

A retrospective review was done of 601 consecutive emergency department deaths. Nontrauma causes accounted for 77% of the deaths and this group had an average age of 64 years and a male to female ratio of 1.9:1. Trauma caused 23% of the fatalities and this group had a younger average age of 29 years and a male to female ratio of 4.6:1. The most common causes of nontrauma death were sudden death of uncertain cause (34%), coronary artery disease (34%), cancer (5%), other heart disease (4%), chronic obstructive lung disease (3%), drug overdose (3%), and sudden infant death syndrome (2%). The most common causes of trauma death were motor vehicle accidents (61%) and gunshot wounds (16%). The overall autopsy rate was 40%. Death certificates were often in error.

Language: en