Abstract

REYES TORNES, Reynaldo  and  CAND HUERTA, Cosme Manuel. Morbilidad y mortalidad geriátricas en medicina interna. Rev cubana med [online]. 1996, vol.35, n.2, pp. 99-105. ISSN 1561-302X.

A descriptive, longitudinal, and retrospective study was conducted to determine the main causes of geriatric mortality and morbidity in the service of Internal Medicine from "Carlos Manuel de Céspedes" Hospital. The study comprised a group of 1 393 patients who were admitted during the period of January, 1^st and December, 31, 1991. The main cause of morbidity and mortality in subjects over 65 years was found to be bacterial bronchopneumonia accounting for 24, 12, and 31 %, respectively, followed regarding frequency by cerebrovascular and heart diseases. Major complications appeared to be phlebitis and hypostatic bronchopneumonia accounting for 52.74 % of deaths. A number of 289 autopsies (74.68 %) were performed. This index was considered low although there was a high clinicopathological correlation (91.01 %).

Keywords : AGE; MORBIDITY; MORTALITY; INTERNAL MEDICINE; CAUSE OF DEATH.