Characteristics of medical care related to autopsy authorization in a pediatric hospital
Hernández-Hernández, D.M.; Montoya-López, J.; Yuriko Furuya-Meguro, M.E.; Martínez-García, M.C.
Gaceta Medica de Mexico 134(5): 545-551
1998
ISSN/ISBN: 0016-3813 PMID: 9842136 Document Number: 493953
To identify some differences of patients and medical characteristics related to autopsy authorization. Observational, cross-sectional study. Third-level medical care in a pediatric hospital. A specific mortality questionnaire was analyzed by members of the mortality staff, because they reviewed deaths which occurred between January 1994 and December 1995. Descriptive statistic and non-parametric tests (X2) were calculated to analyze data. A total of 408 deaths were evaluated, in which 116 autopsies were done (28.4%). Children less than 18 months of age had the highest frequencies of autopsies (33.3%-30.7%). The patients referred by other units and the autopsy application done by a medical resident, had the highest frequencies of acceptance (32.5%, 35.3%, p < 0.05). The detection of diagnostic and therapeutic problems were related with high frequencies of autopsies (37.7%, 36% p < 0.05). The results show us that some medical care factors are related to higher frequencies of autopsies. It is important to consider them in order to increase the capacity of teaching that a postmortem study has.