Neotropical deer have important functions for the sustainability and health of their ecosystem. The investigation of pathological processes and the respective etiologic agents is a critical part of the conservation programs involving these species. In addition, wild animals and in particular deer, play an important role in the transmission and spread of infectious agents, some of them relevant to human health, companion animals and livestock health. The present study describes gross and histological lesions of brown brocket deer BBD (Mazama gouazoubira) and marsh deer MD (Blastocerus dichotomus) from São Paulo state (Brazil), collected during a 21-year period (1995-2015). Major causes of death in MD were respiratory (53.3% 40/75), alimentary (4.0%; 3/75), nutritional (4.0%; 3/75), trauma (4.0%; 3/75) and euthanasia (4.0%; 3/75). In BBD, the main causes of death were respiratory (25.2% 33/131), euthanasia (12.2%; 16/131) and trauma (9.2%; 12/131). This study shows the importance of respiratory disturbances in these two species of South American deer. In this work, despite no etiologic agents were identified, histopathological findings suggest the presence of infectious etiologies including bacterial, viral and fungal. We have described characterized and evaluated pathological processes in function with biological and epidemiological aspects. / Os cervídeos neotropicais desempenham funções de importância para a sustentabilidade e sanidade dos ecossistemas que habitam, e a investigação dos processos patológicos, assim como dos agentes causais envolvidos, é uma parte crítica dos trabalhos de conservação envolvendo estes animais. Além disso, os animais selvagens em geral, e em especial os cervídeos, têm um papel importante na transmissão e disseminação de agentes infecciosos, alguns deles relevantes à saúde humana, para os animais de companhia e de produção. O presente estudo descreveu as características macroscópicas e histológicas dos processos patológicos de duas espécies de cervídeos brasileiros: cervo do pantanal (Blastocerus dichotomus) e veado catingueiro (Mazama gouazoubira) no estado de São Paulo por um período de 21 anos (1995-2015). As principais causas de morte identificadas em cervo do pantanal foram classificadas como: respiratória 53,3% (40/75), nutricional (4,0%; 3/75), trauma (4,0%; 3/75) e eutanásia (4,0%; 3/75). Já em veado catingueiro foram identificadas as seguintes causas: respiratória (25,2%; 33/131), eutanásia (12,2%; 16/131) e trauma (9,2%; 12/131). O presente trabalho detalha a importância do sistema respiratório nestas duas espécies de cervídeos brasileiros. É importante destacar que apesar de não ter identificado agentes etiológicos, os achados histopatológicos são altamente sugestivos de etiologias bacteriana, viral e fúngica. O presente trabalho fornece informações sobre a ocorrência de diversos processos patológicos nestas duas espécies de cervídeos, e sua correlação com o grupo etário, gênero e condição corpórea dos espécimes analisados.

Introdução: A partir da introdução dos antirretrovirais altamente potentes (HAART), assistiu-se, nos países desenvolvidos, a mudanças nos padrões de morbimortalidade associado à aids. No entanto, no Brasil, tem-se poucos estudos analisando esta questão. Objetivo: Analisar as causas básicas e associadas de óbito entre pessoas com aids, residentes no município de São Paulo (MSP), nos períodos pré e pós a introdução da HAART e investigar possíveis disparidades, segundo a área de residência entre 2000 e 2006. Métodos: Estudo descritivo. Os dados foram analisados segundo três períodos: pré-HAART (1991-1996), pós-HAART precoce (1997-1999) e pós-HAART tardio (2000-2006). Fontes de dados: Base Integrada Paulista de Aids (BIPAIDS), do Programa Estadual de DST/Aids-SP e Fundação SEADE e Fundação SEADE para estimativas populacionais. A classificação das causas de óbito foi feita de acordo com a CID-9 (1991-1995) e CID-10 (1996-2006). Foram estimadas as taxas de mortalidade ajustadas por idade para as principais causas básicas de morte, para o período de 1996 a 2006 e efetuada análise descritiva dos óbitos, segundo causas básicas e associadas de morte (1991 a 2006). As causas básicas foram classificadas em: definidoras e não definidoras de aids. Variáveis de interesse: características sociodemográficas, categorias de exposições hierarquizadas e causas básicas e associadas de morte. Para a análise comparativa das variáveis categóricas utilizou-se o teste do qui-quadrado de Pearson, ou o exato de Fisher, e para as variáveis contínuas, o teste t-Student. Para a análise segundo a área de residência, os distritos administrativos foram classificados de acordo com o Índice Paulista de Vulnerabilidade Social. Resultados: Após a HAART, comparando 1995 e 2005, houve declínio de 66,2% na mortalidade por aids no MSP. As causas básicas de morte por doenças não definidoras de aids aumentaram de 0,2% para 9,6% (p<0,001) entre o primeiro e terceiro períodos, respectivamente. As causas básicas de morte com maior aumento, no terceiro período, se comparado ao primeiro, foram: as doenças cardiovasculares, elevando-se de 0,01% para 1,7% (p<0,001), as pneumonias bacterianas/inespecíficas, de 0,01% para 1,6% (p<0,001) e as neoplasias não definidoras de aids, de 0,03% para 1,5% (p<0,001). As causas associadas de morte mais mencionadas no período pós-HAART tardio, se comparado ao préHAART, foram: pneumonias bacterianas/inespecíficas, elevando-se de 25,8% para 35,9%, as septicemias, de 14,5% para 33,5%, as doenças cardiovasculares, de 3,0% para 10,1% e as doenças do fígado, de 2,2% para 8,0%. No pós-HAART tardio, as causas básicas que se destacaram, além da aids, e se distribuíram de forma heterogênea, segundo local de residência, foram as neoplasias não definidoras de aids nas áreas predominantemente ricas, as doenças cardiovasculares nas áreas predominantemente de classe média e as agressões nas áreas predominantemente pobres. Conclusões: A HAART alterou o perfil da mortalidade associada à aids, refletindo, possivelmente, mudanças de igual importância nas características da morbidade, porém esse processo se mostrou heterogêneo, segundo área de residência. Será necessária a elaboração de políticas públicas para adequação dos serviços de saúde, frente a este novo cenário de morbimortalidade da infecção pelo HIV / Background: Since the introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), developed countries have witnessed changes in the patterns of morbidity and mortality associated with AIDS; however, there are only a few studies assessing this issue in Brazil. Objective: To analyze the underlying and associated causes of death among individuals with AIDS, living in the city of São Paulo, before and after the HAART era (1991-2006), and to investigate possible differences according to the area of residence, from 2000 to 2006. Methods: A population-based study among persons with AIDS, residents in the city of São Paulo who died from any cause, in three periods, according to the date of death: pre-HAART (1991-1996), early HAART (1997-1999) and late HAART (2000-2006) eras. Data sources: cases of AIDS reported to the São Paulo State STD/AIDS Program, and mortality and population data for the study periods obtained from the State Data Analysis System Department (Fundação SEADE). Causes of death were coded according to the Ninth (1991-1995) and Tenth (1996-2006) Revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD). Age-adjusted mortality rates of the main underlying causes of death from 1996 to 2006 were estimated and a descriptive analysis of the underlying and associated causes of death in the study period (1991-2006) was performed. Causes of death were classified in AIDS-defining and non AIDS-defining. Variables: age, gender, HIV transmission category, underlying and associated causes of death. Descriptive analyses were performed. Comparisons of the proportions of deaths in the pre-HAART and post-HAART eras used the Pearson\'s chi-square test or Fisher\'s exact test. Residence areas were classified into four groups of homogeneous areas according to the state of São Paulo Social Vulnerability Index. Results: Between 1995 and 2005, the AIDS mortality rate declined to 66.2%. The percentage of non AIDS-defining causes of death increased from 0.2% in the pre-HAART era to 9.6% (p&lt;0.001) in late HAART era. The underlying causes of death that increased in the late HAART era compared to the pre-HAART era were: cardiovascular diseases, from 0.01% to 1.7% (p&lt;0,001); pneumonia (bacterial or unspecified organism), from 0.01% to 1.6% (p&lt;0,001) and non-AIDS defining cancers, from 0.03% to 1.5% (p&lt;0,001). The main associated causes of death mentioned in death certificates, in the pre-HAART versus the late HAART era were: bacterial or unspecified organism pneumonia (25.8% vs 35.9%), septicemia (14.5% vs 33.5%), cardiovascular diseases (3.0% vs 10.1%) and liver disease (2.2% vs 8.0%). In the late HAART era, after AIDS, the leading underlying causes of death, according to the area of residence were: non-AIDS-defining cancers in predominantly rich areas; cardiovascular diseases in predominantly middle class area; and aggressions in predominantly poor areas. Conclusions: HAART not only increased survival of people living with AIDS significantly, but changed the profile of mortality, possibly reflecting the equally important changes in disease patterns. This process was not homogeneous according to the area of residence. The development of public policies to adjust health services to this new scenario of morbidity and mortality of HIV infection is required

Os Serviços de Verificação de Óbitos fornecem informações complementares para a epidemiologia e políticas de saúde pública que servem de instrumentos para medir a situação da saúde de uma comunidade e também para a elaboração e avaliação dos programas de saúde. A comparação entre o diagnóstico clínico de causa mortis e o diagnóstico após a autópsia é uma ferramenta utilizada para a auditoria de serviços médicos, e apesar dos avanços tecnológicos as discrepâncias ainda continuam altas. O presente trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar a casuística do Serviço de Verificação de Óbitos do Interior (SVOi), localizado no município de Ribeirão Preto, SP, no período de 2008 a 2012 e compará-la com as estatísticas gerais de mortalidade do município, disponibilizadas pelo Ministério da Saúde. Além disso, foi feita a classificação das discrepâncias diagnósticas entre os diagnósticos anotados nos pedidos de necropsias e laudos finais do exame nos óbitos ocorridos utilizando o critério Goldman modificado e a partir dos dados obtidos a fim de realizar uma análise crítica do impacto do SVOi no esclarecimento diagnóstico e sua importância nas estatísticas de mortalidade. Para a aplicação do critério foram utilizados dados secundários do encaminhamento de solicitação da necropsia, dos relatórios finais e dos dados sobre as estatísticas de mortalidade do Município obtidos do Ministério da Saúde, sendo que a análise dos dados foi realizada por meio de análise estatística descritiva. Os resultados evidenciaram que nos períodos do estudo foram realizadas 4464 necropsias no serviço, com predomínio de pacientes do sexo masculino e faixa etária dos 51 aos 90 anos. As doenças do aparelho circulatório foram as mais prevalentes registradas como causas de óbitos, seguidas das doenças respiratórias e neoplasias. Dentre todos os casos necropsiados, foi possível a aplicação do critério Goldman modificado em 3895 (83,28%) deles e as discrepâncias maiores foram atribuídas em 26,39% após o uso de critérios de analise, o que sugere a existência de alto grau de discrepâncias entre a hipótese diagnóstica e a real causa do óbito. Pode-se concluir que o SVOi desempenha um importante papel na auditoria diagnóstica, fato esse evidenciado pelos casos que não apresentaram correlação entre hipótese no encaminhamento e relatório final da necropsia. Além disso, 1228 (31,53%) casos foram encaminhados sem a hipótese, ou seja, sem suspeita da causa básica de morte, destacando a importância do SVOi para a sua definição. Ademais, a causa básica foi solucionada após a realização da necropsia em 99,54% do total dos casos analisados nesse estudo, o que revela a importância desse serviço para a elucidação dos casos e para a contribuição dos dados para as estatísticas de mortalidade. / The Death Verification Service provides complementary information for public epidemiology services and public health policies that are useful as tools for measuring the health status of a community and for the elaboration and evaluation of health programs. Diagnostic comparison between cause of death clinical diagnosis and the autopsy is a tool used for auditing medical services, and despite technological advances, discrepancies are still high. The present study sought to evaluate the casuistry in the Death Verification Service - Interior (DVSi) from 2008 to 2012 and to compare them with the general mortality statistics of the Ribeirão Preto municipality, which were made available by the Ministry of Health. In addition, it aimed to classify the diagnostic discrepancies between the requests for autopsies and final results of examinations in deaths using the Goldman revised criteria and, from the obtained data, to make a critical analysis of the DVSi impact on diagnostic clarification and its importance in mortality statistics. For the application of the criteria, secondary data from the cadaver referral, final reports and mortality data of the Ministry of Health were used, and data analysis was performed through descriptive statistical analysis. The results showed that during the study periods, 4464 autopsies were performed in the service, with a predominance of male patients and age range from 51 to 90 years. Circulatory system diseases were the most prevalent causes of death, followed by respiratory diseases and neoplasms. Among all autopsied cases, it was possible to apply the Goldman revised criteria in 3895 (83.28%) cases and large discrepancies were attributed in 26.39% cases after the use of analysis filter criteria, which suggests the existence of discrepancies between the diagnostic hypothesis and the actual cause of death. It can be concluded that the local DVSi plays an important role in the diagnostic audit, evidenced by the cases that did not present a correlation between the hypothesis in the referral and the final autopsy report. In addition, 1228 (31.53%) cases were referred without hypothesis, that is, without suspicion of the underlying cause of death, highlighting the importance of the DVSi for its definition. Furthermore, the basic cause was solved after performing the autopsy in 99.54% of the total cases analyzed in this study, which reveals the importance of this service for clarification of the cases and its contribution to mortality statistics.

Apesar dos avanços tecnológicos e terapêuticos para o manejo do HIV/aids, os óbitos pela doença em algumas realidades sócio sanitárias ainda representam um importante desafio. Em 2011, Ribeirão Preto se destacou dentre os municípios com maior número de óbitos pela doença no Estado de São Paulo. Nesse sentido, objetivou-se analisar os óbitos por aids ocorridos em Ribeirão Preto nos anos de 2012 e 2013. Trata-se de um estudo descritivo, exploratório, de abordagem quantitativa. Foram incluídos os indivíduos que viviam com HIV/aids que foram a óbito pela doença no período supracitado, tendo como causa básica, segundo o código Internacional de Doenças, os códigos de B20 ao B24. Foram excluídos os casos com idade igual ou inferior a 18 anos e pertencentes ao sistema prisional. Elaborou-se um formulário específico para a coleta de dados, cujas fontes secundárias de informação utilizadas foram: Sistema de Informação de Mortalidade e Sistema de Informação de Agravos de Notificação. Os dados foram analisados por meio do software Statística 9.1 da StatSoft, utilizando-se técnicas de análise exploratórias, incluindo proporções, medidas de tendência central e variabilidade. Os resultados sinalizaram possíveis fragilidades relacionadas à não integração dos sistemas de informação, bem como a qualidade dos dados inseridos nos mesmos. Quanto às características sociodemográficas, a maioria dos óbitos esteve relacionada ao sexo masculino (56,5%), sendo a razão entre os sexos de 1,3 homens/mulher. Houve um acometimento de faixas etárias mais velhas (40 a 59 anos, 56,5%) e, ao se considerar a composição étnico-racial do município para os anos estudados, identificou-se elevada taxa de mortalidade (52/100 mil hab.) entre as pessoas da cor preta. Houve predomínio de óbitos entre os indivíduos solteiros (61,1%) e com ensino fundamental (44,4%). Elevados percentuais de dados ignorados foram identificados nas variáveis ocupação (56,6%) e escolaridade (40,7%). O tempo mediano entre o diagnóstico da doença e o óbito foi de 61,5 meses, sendo que para os homens esse tempo foi de 16 meses (29,6% ocorreu em menos de um mês após o diagnóstico). Indivíduos na faixa etária de 21 a 39 anos morreram mais rápido após o diagnóstico da doença, com um tempo mediano de 19 meses (30,3% dos óbitos ocorreu em menos de um mês após o diagnóstico da aids. Entre as causas do óbito estão doenças não definidoras da aids e outras condições associadas, como a coinfecção de hepatites virais, outras comorbidades e condições de risco (uso de substâncias psicoativas). Espera-se contribuir com reflexões acerca do acesso ao diagnóstico precoce, tratamento oportuno e os desafios para a adesão terapêutica das pessoas que vivem com HIV/aids, além da necessidade de se repensar as práticas e políticas públicas em consonância com as demandas individuais e sociais em um determinado contexto, ampliando-se o escopo das ações e intervenções segundo perspectivas intersetoriais / Despite technological and therapeutic advances in the management of HIV/AIDS, the deaths from AIDS in some socio health institutions still represent a major challenge. In 2011, Ribeirão Preto stoodout among the municipalities with the highest number of deaths from AIDS in the São Paulo State. In this sense, it aimed to analyze deaths from AIDS occurred in Ribeirão Preto in the years 2012 and 2013. It was a descriptive, exploratory study with a quantitative approach. Individuals living with HIV/AIDS who died from the disease during the considered period were included, with the underlying cause, according to the International Classification of Diseases code, the codes B20 to B24. Cases aged under 18 and belonging to the prison system were excluded. A specific form was elaborated for data collection, the secondary sources of information used were: Mortality Information System and the Notifiable Diseases Information System. Data were analyzed using the Statistica 9.1 StatSoft software, by exploratory analysis techniques, including proportions, central tendency and variability. The results signaled possible weaknesses related to the non-integration of information systems and the quality of data entered in them. As for sociodemographic characteristics, most of the deaths was related to male (56.5%), and the sex ratio of 1.3 men/women. There was an involvement of older age groups (40 to 59 years, 56.5%) and, when considering the ethnic and racial composition of the municipality for the years studied, it was identified high mortality rate (52/100 thousand inhabitants) among people of black skin color. There was a predominance of deaths among single individuals (61.1%) and elementary education (44.4%). High percentages of missing data were identified in the occupation variables (56.6%) and education (40.7%). The median time between diagnosis of disease and death was 61.5 months, and for men this time was 16 months (29.6% of this deaths occurred in less than a month after diagnosis). Individuals aged 21 to 39 died soon after diagnosis of the disease, with a median time of 19 months (30.3% of deaths occurred in less than a month after diagnosis of AIDS). Among the causes of death are not defining disease of AIDS and other associated conditions such as viral hepatitis coinfection, other comorbidities and risk conditions (psychoactive substance). It is expected to contribute to reflections on the access to early diagnosis, timely treatment and challenges for adherence of people living with HIV/AIDS, and the need to rethink the practices and policies in step with the individual and social demands in a particular context, expanding the scope of actions and interventions according intersectoral prospects

Os Serviços de Verificação de Óbitos fornecem informações complementares para a epidemiologia e políticas de saúde pública que servem de instrumentos para medir a situação da saúde de uma comunidade e também para a elaboração e avaliação dos programas de saúde. A comparação entre o diagnóstico clínico de causa mortis e o diagnóstico após a autópsia é uma ferramenta utilizada para a auditoria de serviços médicos, e apesar dos avanços tecnológicos as discrepâncias ainda continuam altas. O presente trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar a casuística do Serviço de Verificação de Óbitos do Interior (SVOi), localizado no município de Ribeirão Preto, SP, no período de 2008 a 2012 e compará-la com as estatísticas gerais de mortalidade do município, disponibilizadas pelo Ministério da Saúde. Além disso, foi feita a classificação das discrepâncias diagnósticas entre os diagnósticos anotados nos pedidos de necropsias e laudos finais do exame nos óbitos ocorridos utilizando o critério Goldman modificado e a partir dos dados obtidos a fim de realizar uma análise crítica do impacto do SVOi no esclarecimento diagnóstico e sua importância nas estatísticas de mortalidade. Para a aplicação do critério foram utilizados dados secundários do encaminhamento de solicitação da necropsia, dos relatórios finais e dos dados sobre as estatísticas de mortalidade do Município obtidos do Ministério da Saúde, sendo que a análise dos dados foi realizada por meio de análise estatística descritiva. Os resultados evidenciaram que nos períodos do estudo foram realizadas 4464 necropsias no serviço, com predomínio de pacientes do sexo masculino e faixa etária dos 51 aos 90 anos. As doenças do aparelho circulatório foram as mais prevalentes registradas como causas de óbitos, seguidas das doenças respiratórias e neoplasias. Dentre todos os casos necropsiados, foi possível a aplicação do critério Goldman modificado em 3895 (83,28%) deles e as discrepâncias maiores foram atribuídas em 26,39% após o uso de critérios de analise, o que sugere a existência de alto grau de discrepâncias entre a hipótese diagnóstica e a real causa do óbito. Pode-se concluir que o SVOi desempenha um importante papel na auditoria diagnóstica, fato esse evidenciado pelos casos que não apresentaram correlação entre hipótese no encaminhamento e relatório final da necropsia. Além disso, 1228 (31,53%) casos foram encaminhados sem a hipótese, ou seja, sem suspeita da causa básica de morte, destacando a importância do SVOi para a sua definição. Ademais, a causa básica foi solucionada após a realização da necropsia em 99,54% do total dos casos analisados nesse estudo, o que revela a importância desse serviço para a elucidação dos casos e para a contribuição dos dados para as estatísticas de mortalidade. / The Death Verification Service provides complementary information for public epidemiology services and public health policies that are useful as tools for measuring the health status of a community and for the elaboration and evaluation of health programs. Diagnostic comparison between cause of death clinical diagnosis and the autopsy is a tool used for auditing medical services, and despite technological advances, discrepancies are still high. The present study sought to evaluate the casuistry in the Death Verification Service - Interior (DVSi) from 2008 to 2012 and to compare them with the general mortality statistics of the Ribeirão Preto municipality, which were made available by the Ministry of Health. In addition, it aimed to classify the diagnostic discrepancies between the requests for autopsies and final results of examinations in deaths using the Goldman revised criteria and, from the obtained data, to make a critical analysis of the DVSi impact on diagnostic clarification and its importance in mortality statistics. For the application of the criteria, secondary data from the cadaver referral, final reports and mortality data of the Ministry of Health were used, and data analysis was performed through descriptive statistical analysis. The results showed that during the study periods, 4464 autopsies were performed in the service, with a predominance of male patients and age range from 51 to 90 years. Circulatory system diseases were the most prevalent causes of death, followed by respiratory diseases and neoplasms. Among all autopsied cases, it was possible to apply the Goldman revised criteria in 3895 (83.28%) cases and large discrepancies were attributed in 26.39% cases after the use of analysis filter criteria, which suggests the existence of discrepancies between the diagnostic hypothesis and the actual cause of death. It can be concluded that the local DVSi plays an important role in the diagnostic audit, evidenced by the cases that did not present a correlation between the hypothesis in the referral and the final autopsy report. In addition, 1228 (31.53%) cases were referred without hypothesis, that is, without suspicion of the underlying cause of death, highlighting the importance of the DVSi for its definition. Furthermore, the basic cause was solved after performing the autopsy in 99.54% of the total cases analyzed in this study, which reveals the importance of this service for clarification of the cases and its contribution to mortality statistics.

<p>Mortality statistics are much used although their accuracy is often questioned. Producers of mortality statistics check for errors in death certification but current methods only capture obvious mistakes. This thesis investigates whether non-obvious errors can be found by linking death certificates to hospital discharge data.</p><p>Data: 69,818 deaths in Sweden 1995. Paper I: Analysing differences between the underlying cause of death from the death certificate (UC) and the main discharge condition from the patient’s last hospitalization (MDC). Paper II: Testing whether differences can be explained by ICD definitions of UC and MDC. Paper III: Surveying methods in 44 current studies on the accuracy of death certificates. Paper IV: Checking death certificates against case summaries for: i) 573 deaths where UC and MDC were the same or the difference could be explained; ii) 562 deaths where the difference could not be explained.</p><p>Results: In 54% of deaths the MDC differed from the UC. Almost two-thirds of the differences were medically compatible since the MDC might have developed as a complication of the UC. Of 44 recent evaluation studies, only 8 describe the methods in such detail that the study could be replicated. Incompatibility between MDC and UC indicates a four-fold risk that the death certificate is inaccurate. For some diagnostic groups, however, death certificates are often inaccurate even when the UC and MDC are compatible.</p><p>Conclusion: Producers of official mortality statistics could reduce the number of non-obvious errors in the statistics by collecting additional information on incompatible deaths and on deaths in high-risk diagnostic groups. ICD conventions contribute to the quality problem since they presuppose that all deaths are due to a single underlying cause. However, in an ageing population an increasing number of deaths are due to an accumulation of etiologically unrelated conditions.</p>

Understanding mortality patterns is an essential pre-requisite for guiding public health action and for supporting development of evidence-based policy. However, such information is not sufficiently available in Vietnam. Mortality statistics and causes of death are solely collected from health facilities while most deaths occur at home without the presence of health professionals. Facility-based data cannot represent what happened in the wider community. This thesis studies the patterns and burdens of mortality as well as their relationships with socio-economic status in rural Vietnam. The overall aim is to contribute to the improvement of the current system of mortality data collection in the country for the purposes of public health planning and priority setting. The study was carried out within the framework of an ongoing Demographic Surveillance System (DSS) in Bavi district, Hatay province, northern rural Vietnam. This study used a verbal autopsy (VA) approach to identify cause of death in a cohort of approximately 250,000 person- years over a five-year period from 1999 to 2003. During the five year study, a total of 1,240 deaths were recorded and VA was successfully completed for 1,220 cases. Results revealed that VA was an appropriate and useful method for ascertaining cause of death in this rural Vietnamese community where specific data were otherwise scarce. The mortality pattern reflected a transitional pattern of disease in which the leading cause of death was cardiovascular diseases (CVD), followed by neoplasms, infectious and parasitic diseases, and external causes, accounting for 28.9%, 14.5%, 11.2%, and 9.8%, respectively. In terms of premature mortality, there were 85 and 55 Years of Life Lost (YLL) per 1,000 population for males and females respectively. The largest contributions to YLL were CVDs, malignant neoplasms, unintentional injuries, and perinatal and neonatal causes. In general, men had higher mortality rates than women for all mortality categories. In adults of 20 years and above, mortality rates increased substantially with age, and showed similar age effects for all mortality categories with the strongest association for non-communicable diseases (NCD). Education was an important factor for survival in general, and high economic status seemed to benefit men more than women. Compared with cancer and other NCD causes, higher CVD rates were observed among males, the elderly, and those without formal education, using a Cox proportional hazards model. This study is an initial effort to provide information on mortality patterns in a community using longitudinal follow-up of a dynamic cohort. Continuing the study using the VA approach as part of routine data collection in the setting will help to show trends in mortality patterns for the community over time, which may be useful for priority setting and health planning purposes, not only locally but also at the national level. Further analyses are needed to understand mortality inequality across all ages to have a comprehensive picture of mortality burdens in the setting. Validation studies and further standardization of VA methods should be carried out whenever possible to improve the performance and extension of the technique.

This thesis examines ways of establishing cause of death, assessing trends in mortality, and identifying factors that affect mortality and survival among the different population groups in rural and semi-urban Ethiopia. These data are important for health care planning; however, such vital data are unavailable in many developing countries. The study was conducted in Butajira Rural Health Program Demographic Surveillance Site, Ethiopia, where data collection on vital events and related research has been conducted for the last 20 years. This thesis used a cohort and a case referent study preceded by Focus Group Discussion. It also employed a verbal autopsy procedure to identify causes of death. The cohort component used 18 years of surveillance data (1987-2004). The prospective case referent study, carried out in the years 2003-2005, was used to complement the mortality analysis and focused particularly on issues related to household decision making, social capital, and economic status. The main subgroups included were children under-five years old, adults 15-64, and the elderly 65 years and above. Cause of death was ascertained using the Physicians’ Review and InterVA methods. Food shortage and epidemics affected the modest downward trend of mortality. There was a general similarity between the Physicians’ Review and InterVA methods in identifying the major causes of death. About 60% of the deaths were due to pneumonia/sepsis, pulmonary tuberculosis, malaria, and diarrhoea disease/malnutrition. The InterVA method was cheaper and more consistent. Higher rates of HIV/AIDS (11%), tuberculosis (18%), and cardiovascular (9%) mortality were noted in urban areas compared to rural areas. Consistent higher mortality was found in rural areas. Women were disadvantaged by residence and advanced age. Place of residence, illiteracy, widowhood, and not owning a house affected men and women differently, indicating a possible need for gender-specific interventions. Children and women survival is affected by household decision-making; this means efforts to improve women’s involvement in household decision-making (women empowerment) might improve child and women survival in poor settings. Many factors that significantly affect mortality can only be controlled by concerted efforts to improve health and overall development.

The thesis builds up on the significance of the social aspect of the statistics giving direct reference to the standards of the European Union (EU) on statistics. The study concentrates on the modernization, reformation and transformation process of the Turkish Statistical System, particularly the health statistics on the basis of a specific Programme called &ldquo / Upgrading the Statistical System of Turkey&rdquo / funded by the EU and the Law on Turkish Statistics (No: 5429) within the process of the harmonization of the Turkish Statistical System, which aims the integration of the current system to the international one via the EU acquis communautaire. This thesis presents the causes of the death statistics as one of the most significant dimensions of statistics since it is the most extensive and the oldest public health surveillance system in the world. The reformation in the certification process, the classification stage and the analysis of the cause of the death statistics (COD) are examined in detail hereby. Improvement of the coverage, introduction of the International Classification of Diseases-10th Revision (ICD-10), development of institutional coordination and a new formation of the causes of death statistics in line with the EU requirements are analyzed in depth. Based on the findings of this study, it is proposed that the introduction of ICD-10 and improvement of the coverage of the COD statistics are not sufficient to ameliorate the shortcomings of the current death certificate system rested upon on the two documents including the &ldquo / COD forms&rdquo / and the &ldquo / burial licence&rdquo / in Turkey. The study also suggests that solutions to be proposed should be radical and effective since the problems encountered in the death certificate system are deep-rooted. Consequently, with regard to the issues of increasing the coverage of physical autopsy and providing training for the COD forms and with the aim of reducing diversified and complex chain of bureaucratic transactions, it is essential to bring an encompassing new legal base for the current death certificate system.

Objectives – To ascertain the annual number of users who were discharged home after visits to the emergency department, grouped by age, gender and number of visits during the calendar year, and to assess whether an increasing number of visits to the department predicted a higher mortality. Methods – This is a retrospective cohort study, at the emergency department of Landspitali University Hospital, Reykjavik capital city area, Iceland. During the years of 1995 to 2001 19259 users visited the emergency department, and were discharged home and they were follow-up for cause specific mortality through a national registry. Standardised mortality ratio, with expected number based on national mortality rates was calculated and hazard ratios according to number of visits per calendar year using time dependent multivariate regression analysis were computed. Results – The annual increase of visits to the emergency department among the patients discharged home was seven to 14 per cent per age group during the period 1995 to 2001, with a highest increase among older men. The most common discharge diagnosis was the category Symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings not elsewhere classified. When emergency department users were compared with the general population, the standardised mortality ratio was 1.81 for men and 1.93 for women. Among those attending the emergency department two times, and three or more times in a calendar year, the mortality rate was higher than among those coming only once in a year. The causes of death which led to the highest mortality among frequent users of the emergency department were neoplasm, ischemic heart diseases, and the category external causes, particularly drug intoxication, suicides and probable suicides. Conclusions – The mortality of users of the emergency department who had been discharged home turned out to be higher than that of the general population. Frequent users of the emergency department had a higher mortality than those visiting the department no more than once in a year. Since the emergency department serves general medicine and surgery patients, not injuries, the high mortality due to drug intoxication, suicide and probable suicide is notable. Further studies are needed into the diagnosis at discharge of those frequently using emergency departments, in an attempt to understand and possibly prevent this mortality / <p>ISBN 91-7997-128-8</p>