Abstract

ROSALES GONZALEZ, Ernesto et al. Causes of death in diabetic patients from Havana City according to death certificates. Rev Cubana Med Gen Integr [online]. 2008, vol.24, n.1. ISSN 0864-2125.

17 936 death certificates of persons who died in Havana City during 2002 were reviewed. Of them, 1 202 corresponded to diabetics. These certificates are in the National Statistics Division of the Ministry of Public Health, in Havana City. Of the 1 200 dead, 438 belonged to the basic cause group, and of them 257 (58.72 %) are females and 181 (41.32 %) are males. The age group 70-79 was the most affected (28.52 %), followed by those aged 60-69 (26.32 %). The findings group with 764 dead diabetics will not be object of study in this paper. The most commom causes in the basic cause group were bronchopneumonia, acute myocardial infarction, renal failure and sepsis. The progress of renal failure as a direct cause of death concerns the physicians. The metabolic disorder, although it is not one of the first five causes of death, reported 12 deceased of ketoacidosis (rate 0.5), followed by hypoglycaemic and hyperosmolar comas, which may evidence fails in primary and secondary health care. The acute myocardial infarction was the most frequent cause of death among those who died at home, according to the certificates.

Keywords : Diabetes mellitus; mortality; direct cause; basic cause.

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