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Volume 18, Number 4—April 2012
CME ACTIVITY - Research

Determinants for Autopsy after Unexplained Deaths Possibly Resulting from Infectious Causes, United States

Lindy LiuComments to Author , Laura S. Callinan, Robert C. Holman, and Dianna M. Blau
Author affiliations: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Main Article

Table 3

Characteristics of decedents 1–49 years of age and autopsies conducted for unexplained deaths possibly resulting from infectious causes, United States*

Characteristic No. (%) decedents No. (%) autopsies
Overall 96,242 (100) 38,332 (39.8)
Sex
  M 57,238 (59.5) 23,753 (41.5)
  F 39,004 (40.5) 14,579 (37.4)
Race
  White 69,053 (71.7) 28,125 (40.7)
  Black 23,657 (24.6) 9,006 (38.1)
  Other† 3,532 (3.7) 1,201 (34.0)
Age group, y
  1–17 8,844 (9.2) 4,468 (50.5)
  18–39 34,382 (35.7) 16,640 (48.4)
  40–49 53,016 (55.1) 17,224 (32.5)
Syndrome
  Gastrointestinal 1,736 (1.8) 837 (48.2)
  Neurologic 1,765 (1.8) 676 (38.3)
  Respiratory 15,229 (15.8) 5,607 (36.8)
  Cardiovascular 12,487 (13.0) 4,404 (35.3)
  Sepsis/shock 20,762 (21.6) 3,298 (15.9)
  Multisyndrome 12,371 (12.9) 2,688 (21.7)
  Unknown/other 31,892 (33.1) 20,822 (65.3)

*Numbers reflect decedents for whom autopsy information was available; autopsy information was not available for 13.4% of the 111,160 persons who died of unexplained causes.
†American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian Indian, Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Other Asian, Native Hawaiian, Guamanian or Chamorro, Samoan, other Pacific Islander, and other.

Main Article

Page created: March 16, 2012
Page updated: March 16, 2012
Page reviewed: March 16, 2012
The conclusions, findings, and opinions expressed by authors contributing to this journal do not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Public Health Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the authors' affiliated institutions. Use of trade names is for identification only and does not imply endorsement by any of the groups named above.
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